


Thunderbirds: Crimson Gate

by AuroraRose2081



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Romance, Evil Plans, F/M, Family Drama, Family Fluff, Mystery, Post-Canon, Spies & Secret Agents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24153745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraRose2081/pseuds/AuroraRose2081
Summary: When it comes to family, the Tracy brothers will do anything to keep each other safe. But when a new, more dangerous threat called the Crimson Gate threatens to destroy them, and bonds between siblings are strained, what can be done to keep their world from falling apart at the seams?
Relationships: Brains/Tin-Tin Kyrano, Penelope Creighton-Ward/Gordon Tracy, Tanusha "Kayo" Kyrano/Scott Tracy
Comments: 14
Kudos: 21





	1. Homecoming

**Author's Note:**

> Tin-Tin finally returns home, en route to Tracy Island alongside Penelope for a long awaited reunion with Kayo.

###  Chapter 1: Homecoming 

It had been a while since Penelope sat on the receiving end of a flight. Fireflash would be coming into Heathrow Airport in approximately ten minutes, directly from Singapore with a passenger she had been waiting almost a year to see. Of course, there had been correspondence before then with calls and emails (sometimes multiple times a day), but having someone come home and stay there truly was something to look forward to. With Jeff Tracy back as head of International Rescue and the Hood nowhere to be found, she was truly excited for this new development. Kayo had been in contact a few hours before, after returning with Alan in Thunderbird 3 from a space junk run. She had been given the news in secret by Jeff that her sister was finally coming back to Tracy Island, and Kayo (normally so subdued) was nothing but smiles. It was decided for the sake of the reunion that the boys wouldn’t know.

Alan and Gordon were less likely to remember Kayo had a sister at all, they had been so young, while Virgil’s memory would be fuzzy at best. John and Scott remembered quite clearly there had been two Kayo’s running around at some point in their past, but perhaps not much about her. After all, the thing about identical twins was that one sometimes tended to blend with the other. Only Penelope and Jeff knew the full truth about why Kayo and Tin-Tin Kyrano had been separated at the delicate age of six. Of course, Penelope hadn’t been privy to the main plan when it happened, as she was still only a child herself when the separation had been decided. But when Tin-Tin was taken in by Lord Creighton-Ward to live in London rather than on Tracy Island as to deflect any possibility of Hood’s return, her ten-year-old self determined it was an  _ important _ teaching opportunity. And hence, here she sat waiting for Fireflash to finally deboard, her heart fluttering in excitement.

Tin-Tin, as Penelope herself had, attended school in Switzerland fully funded by Lord Creighton-Ward. From what Penny knew, MI5 was impressed with her progress over a four year period, hence the side jaunt to Singapore before returning to London. The agent had heard through the grapevine that the mission had gone off without a hitch, and she absolutely couldn’t be prouder. However, with the threat of Hood gone and Tracy Island safe once again, it was time for two twins to be reunited after nearly 16 years apart. Hearing a ding at the gate as passengers began to disembark, Penelope couldn’t help but rise to her feet. It had been nearly a year since she had attended Tin-Tin’s graduation, watched her speak as a student of honors and passed her first real mission with flying colors. To Penelope, the girl was a sister to her in all but blood.

It only took a moment before Penny saw the head of raven hair she was looking for, and a small breath of relief escaped her. Tin-Tin looked wonderful in her white oriental style day dress; the edges trimmed in crimson red with a separate wrap covering bare shoulders and clasped at the front with a golden hoop. Her long hair was folded up neatly and pinned with two rods tipped in diamond, a red hardback suitcase in her hand. It was a simple, but still elegant look no doubt inspired by where she just came from, and it made Penelope smile. Kayo was a dear of course, they had spent more than their fair share of time together and enjoyed the short moments when they came. But she spent much too much time with the boys, and was very  _ severe _ compared to her twin.

“Tin-Tin, darling!” opening her arms to the girl the minute she finally found her in the dispersing crowd, she beamed in excitement and quickened her pace. It was only a minute before they hugged, tightly and very unladylike on Penny’s part, but she couldn’t help it, “I’m so glad you’re finally back.”

“It’s good to be back,” Tin-Tin admitted quietly, stepping back in the tamale red stilettos she had chosen for the trip, her yellow eyes glistening as brightly as her smile “you look fantastic as always, Penny.”

“As do you, my love. This style is so _ very _ forward, you certainly stand out in a crowd.” Nodding in approval, Penny couldn’t help but soften as she caressed the younger girls face, “my, you’ve grown up so much. It’s enough to make a woman shed a tear,”

“Best not.” Tin-Tin laughed, a light breathy thing as she already began to dab at her mascara, “If you start crying then I’ll start crying, and I didn’t wear waterproof.”

“Of course not, darling.” Folding Tin-Tin’s arm in hers, they began the short jaunt towards where Parker was waiting with FAB 1, “now, you simply must tell me all about Singapore, everything you can spare before we get to Tracy Island.”

“Oh Penelope, you wouldn’t believe how wonderful it was to finally be away from Switzerland.”

As Tin-Tin spoke of her adventure abroad, gentle but still expressive, Penelope smiled happily. The unique accent in her tone was something Tin-Tin had never been able to drop, unlike Kayo who was very much English and had little of her original accent left behind. It was honestly surprising she didn’t sound more like an American with the amount of time she spent around the boys. Penelope knew of course Tin-Tin could switch dialects as swiftly and easily as she could, possibly better due to her family history, but that very distinct accent was always waiting whenever she felt comfortable enough to use it.

Leaving the airport, both women shivered slightly in the chill London air. It was already threatening rain, and Penelope couldn’t wait for an extended stay on Tracy Island. It had yet to be discussed what Tin-Tin would want to do for the long term. Jeff of course was welcome to the idea of her joining International Rescue, but MI5 was interested in her service as well. And as desperately as Penny wanted her home in London, she wouldn’t fight if the twins wanted to stay together.

“Greetin’s, Miss Tin-Tin. M’lady.”

Reaching where Parker stood with FAB 1 outside, he gave an invisible hat tilt as Tin-Tin beamed at him.

“Parker! How have you been?”

“Quite well, miss. H’its been very busy ‘ere as of late.”

“You look so well, my friend, is this real leather? And FAB 1 is pristine – no, no. I’ve got this.” Holding up her delicate hand to keep Parker from taking her luggage, she hoisted it into the boot with ease, “I can certainly handle my own suitcase.”

“Only ‘abit, miss.” Parker apologized with a genuine smile. Tin-Tin always did have the most excellent effect on the prickly man, “m’lady, shall we begin h’the journey to Tracy Island? G’hrandma Tracy is expectin’ us for dinner.”

“Oh, dear…” pursing her lips slightly at the idea of Ruth Tracy attempting to cook for them, Penelope kept her face painfully taught, “I think it’s best we pick something up on the way. Just in case.”

“’H’of course, m’lady.”

“I don’t remember much of Grandma Tracy, but I do remember her cooking.” Tin-Tin mused to herself, “Scott used her cookies as hockey disks.”

“Quite right.” Penelope agreed, nodding to Parker who opened the door for her. Slipping inside, she buckled delicately as Tin-Tin dropped in beside her, “I do say it’s only gotten worse.”

“Is that even possible?”

“I’m afraid so, it’s quite distressing.” Laughing lightly as they pulled away from Heathrow, Penelope settled in. Tin-Tin had her eyes focused out the window, but there was a tension in her that Penny hadn’t originally noticed. Only until they had stopped at a little Italian bistro for a pick-up lunch and were on their way did she broach the subject. “Tin-Tin, darling, you don’t need to feel nervous about this.”

Yellow eyes turning away from the blurry and rain filled scenery, her delicate features crumpled slightly.

“It’s been half a lifetime, Penelope. Gordon and Alan may not even remember me. I haven’t seen Kayo in so long…”

“You needn’t worry about Kayo, my love.” Penny insisted, taking the girls hand from across the seat and squeezing it lightly, “she knows you’re coming. And though it’s highly inappropriate for a personal call at 3 AM, she simply couldn’t contain herself. And I’m willing to overlook it this time.”

“I’m still uncertain, it’s felt like…well, like I’m not really part of their world anymore.”

“Perhaps not, but the boys…they are good men, all of them. I trust it won’t take long for them to warm up to you.”

“It’s…it’s not just that, Penny.” Tin-Tin admitted finally, toying with a strand of her hair mindlessly, a nervous tell she had ever since she was a girl, “there’s something else that happened while I was in Singapore.”

“Something else?” Glancing up to where Parker was staring at them in the mirror, Penny gave the smallest of nods. Without a word, he pressed a button under the dash, blocking anyone from possibly listening in, “something happened beyond your original mission, I presume?”

“Yes,”

“And it’s making you nervous?”

“…yes. I know I can trust you and the Tracy Family, but I don’t want to put anyone in danger.”

“Danger.” Penny breathed in exasperation, frowning deeply. Tin-Tin only found it in her to nod, an obvious lump having formed in her throat, “Tin-Tin, my dear, we will protect you from anything I assure you. What’s going on?”

Staring at one another for a long moment, steely blues met golden disks as Tin-Tin physically shuttered, rubbing the side of her arm weakly.

“When I was in Singapore, I thought…I thought I saw Uncle,”

“The Hood?” Penelope breathed, “impossible.”

“I can’t be sure; it was only for a moment. But that wasn’t all…” her lower lip quivering with threat of tears, the younger girl physically winced, “he was with someone.” Making sure they were still looking at each other, Tin-Tin exhaled again shakily, “I think my father is alive, Penelope. And I need your help to find him.” 





	2. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tin-Tin and Kayo are finally reunited after 16 years apart.

###  Chapter 2: Reunited 

Kayo was cracking apart; normally she was so good at keeping secrets. But this one was absolutely shredding at her gut, as if someone had let loose a starving wolverine which was now making havoc of her interior. It had only been a few hours ago that Jeff told her, in complete secrecy from his sons, that Tin-Tin would finally be returning to Tracy Island. From what little Kayo had heard from her sister, she had last been studying abroad in Switzerland, at the same school Penelope attended. That had been last year. 

Even with as little contact they had since being separated, Kayo kept and cherished every birthday and holiday card her twin ever managed to send. They usually came by paper mail, an old fashioned and slow way to send messages these days. But the letters were never late, no matter how many back doors they had slipped through before reaching her. Unlike her own letters which felt awkward and halted, written in caps for legibility and in perfectly parallel lines, Tin-Tin wrote in delicate, curvy letters. 

When away from the boys, and on days she was especially missing her other half, Kayo liked to lay the letters out by date. She could practically read her sister's emotions through her hand-writing, even if the curly script never changed. The first year she had ever written a letter, Tin-Tin’s hand was heavy, and there were awkward hand splotches on the page from a tedious learning curve of using a fountain pen. Through the years the script became cleaner and more practiced, and the letter sent before she left to attend school was perfectly neat with heart dotted i’s and long swooping calligraphic curves. Most certainly a woman’s hand, compared to her own. During the four years she was in Switzerland, Tin-Tin began to write fun little codes on her envelopes. Just short sayings or quotes she liked, nothing serious. 

Kayo had to call Penelope the first few times, as she couldn’t decipher the lines on her own. But once she understood, the little secret messages were her favorite part of the communication. Kayo sent her own codes too, not as well put together but still fun to try in her spare time. These letters were normally filled with idle chatter, nothing incriminating from either end, and filled with hidden meanings only shared between the two of them. But Kayo loved them dearly, and kept them all in the dress box which contained the single formal dress Penelope had bought for her first charity event. 

Now though, Tin-Tin was coming back to Tracy Island. It had been nearly 16 years since she had stepped foot on this rock; would she even recognize it? It was stupid to think that she wouldn’t recognize Kayo herself as they shared the same face, but she was so different now. Being with International Rescue had hardened her, and life without her twin had been misery. But now she was back and coming here, and all Kayo could find as a distraction was pacing around the living room in a stoic frenzy of nerves. 

“Kayo, I can practically feel you pacing from here.” 

Glancing up, John’s avatar appeared on the comm. It wasn’t an emergency, as Jeff had ordered a week hiatus for Tin-Tin’s secret arrival. Scott never would have done something like that, but with his father once again behind the desk and the weight of the world off his shoulders, he agreed as easily as the rest to time off. Glancing to the redhead, he was no doubt upstairs in his room. Seeing John actually sitting at his desk was weird, as he was normally floating in anti-grav, “something wrong?”

“Why didn’t you just come down to ask me yourself?” Kayo questioned, not stopping the route she had locked on to for the past half hour, “and you can’t feel me pacing.” 

“No, but EOS is complaining that you’re making her servers dizzy just watching you. So,” leaning forward slightly John’s eyes were quizzical, “what’s on your mind?” 

“Nothing that concerns you; at least for now.” 

“GDF business?” John queried, “I thought you were ordered to take a break like the rest of us?” 

“I was, and I am. It’s not GDF related, it’s...personal stuff.” 

“Ah.” 

John was very intelligent, more so then all of his brothers combined. But when it came to ‘personal’ anything, he was almost immediately out his depth. Virgil was usually the first choice for anything that wasn’t work or logic related, followed closely by Gordon and then possibly Scott if there weren’t many options. Speaking of the Fish. 

“Can you hear Gordon’s pacing as much as you can hear mine, spaceboy?” 

“His is more of a hurricane,” John answered earnestly, “he’s been trying to pick a shirt for two hours.” 

“That’s what you get when Lady Penelope comes to stay.” Kayo chuckled, fiddling with her own collar. She had dressed a bit nicer for the arrival of her twin, just for the sake of it. But her hair was in the same ponytail, and she wore her favorite clunky boots. Gordon and Penelope were definitely an interesting subject. After the whole ‘cargo boat flip over’ thing, she had seemed almost as enthralled with him as he was with her. As if reading her mind, John snorted. 

“At least now the obvious pining between them is mutual now.” He laughed, actually laughed, and shook his head, “because if I’m noticing, then it’s less obvious and more of a glaring and utterly irritating fact.” 

“It’s an extended stay,” Kayo agreed, happy that the subject had found its way off of her and her pacing, “hopefully one or both of them will make a move and get it over with.” 

“Yeah. Did you hear about Brains and Moffie?” 

Kayo would have never pegged John to be a man of gossip, after all he was more a logical type. But spending so much time with only EOS as company meant the carrot headed brother was more than a bit of a nosy bastard. He knew everything (almost), and the tough breakup between Brains and Professor Moffat had been all too prevalent the past few days. 

“Yeah, it’s too bad. Seemed like they would have done well together.” 

“That’s lab types for you,” John shrugged, “work comes first.” 

“Says you, spaceman.” Kayo tossed back, earning a snort from the second eldest Tracy son. He didn’t retort though as there was a beep on one of his monitors, “something important?” 

“Nope, just the impending arrival of a certain someone. Better go warn Gordon he’s got less then five minutes to pick a shirt. See you on the runway.” 

“Yeah.” Nodding as John’s face disappeared, she strained to hear him leave his room to warn Gordon of his impending crisis. She smirked though as the younger blonde practically shrieked in panic. Unfortunately, it didn’t distract from Kayo’s still rapidly thudding heart. She had been through hell back, literally, for International Rescue. She’d faced armed gunman, space, the bottom of the ocean and her own Uncle head on. And yet she had never felt more afraid then what was going to happen in less then five minutes. 

“Kayo,” glancing up from her quiet hyperventilating, Jeff Tracy entered the room. His cane made soft taps on the floor as he walked, appearing by her side, “I thought you’d be gone by now. Scott and Virgil are already out there. Said something about getting a good view to watch descent.” 

“They just want to see Gordon flip out over Lady Penelope,” Kayo admitted, hooking her thumbs into the loops of her jeans, “I’m just nervous I guess. It’s been a long time.” 

“That it has. But, Lady Penelope has assured me that what you’re feeling,  _ she’s  _ feeling as well. So, would you escort an old man out to meet our guests? I need to get out of here before Mom decides to try and bake anything.” 

Laughing lightly, Kayo gladly let Mr. Tracy borrow her arm. It was a bit surreal, having him in their lives again. But unlike the maelstrom IR had been the past eight years, Jeff Tracy had a way of pulling the entire universe back into order. Now they walked out to where the greeting party had gathered. Scott and Virgil must have managed to drag Brains out of the lab. The two were sitting on some rocks near the base of TB2’s main hangar bay, with Alan at their feet basking slightly in the afternoon light. Brains was very quietly conversing with John about something, without MAX Kayo noticed. And Gordon had settled on a pink Hawaiian shirt rather then his usual orange, obviously aiming to draw a certain Lady’s eye (and possibly a fist to the jaw from Parker, depending on his mood). Now she wished Grandma wasn’t busy setting up a catered dinner so she wouldn’t have to be standing alone being nervous. 

“Boys,” Jeff greeted them all with a nod, looking down the runway where a small pink speck had appeared, “we have approach.” 

Hoping no one noticed her uncontrolled fidgeting (Kayo  _ didn’t _ fidget), she moved from one foot to another as FAB 1 came closer and closer. Eventually, the thrusters gave a mighty blast, blowing their hair and clothing as it landed elegantly. Even if Kayo hadn’t  _ seen _ Tin-Tin yet, some big hole in her heart was already beginning to mend. And as Lady Penelope stepped out as gracefully as always, she met Kayo’s eyes first. There was a gentleness there, but also a silent message of ‘we need to talk later’. 

“Lady Penelope.” Jeff greeted, taking a few slow steps forward as he kissed the woman’s hand, “welcome back.” 

“Of course, Jeff. It’s so good to have a bit of away time from London. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve brought a guest along.” 

The boys, so used to the normal secrecy of the Island, stiffened in surprise. But Jeff merely chuckled, nodding his head. 

“Of course, Lady Penelope.” 

Taking a few short steps towards the car as Parker opened the other door, a figure stepped out. Kayo’s breath hitched, and her steely walls from eight years in International Rescue began to crumble to dust. Tin-Tin walked around the back of FAB 1 in a murderous pair of heels. She squinted in the bright afternoon light, smiling at nothing in particular. But Kayo couldn’t keep herself from hurrying a few more steps forward, awkward and dazed. Time itself seemed to stop for them, and as two identical faces met for the first time in 16 years, all bets were off. 

Kayo and Tin-Tin were twins, so they met halfway without even trying. Like a pair of lovers finally coming together in a sitcom, they rammed into one another with enough inertia to blow up the island. But it was as if Kayo were whole again, actual unrestrained tears leaking from her as they embraced. Nothing needed to be said, at least nothing that Kayo had imagined.

“Your heels could kill someone…” She croaked eventually, causing Tin-Tin to laugh as they finally pulled away to stare at one another. Same face, different people, and it definitely showed. Tin-Tin was soft and guarded, and Kayo felt like she would scuff her with her own calloused hands and oil smudged dignity. But Tin-Tin was more than happy to swing a lazy arm around Kayo’s shoulders, beaming and partially drunk with the pure euphoria of the entire display. 

“Tin-Tin, welcome back to Tracy Island.” Jeff greeted, pulling Kayo right back down to Earth. She had completely forgotten about their audience, gratefully accepting the handkerchief which Penelope had somehow summoned up. 

“Thank you, Pen.” 

“Anytime darling,” the blonde mumbled, patting her shoulder as Tin-Tin gladly hugged Mr. Tracy as though she had known him forever. 

“It’s so lovely to be back, Mr. Tracy.” She spoke, still with the accent they both had as children. That was surprising, Kayo had completely grown out of her’s. She’d have to ask Tin-Tin about it later, when they had a moment. “The scenery is so beautiful.” 

“I’m glad it suits you. I was worried you’d gotten used to Switzerland after all this time.” 

“Oh no, it’s dreadfully cold there.” Tin-Tin complained, shaking her head, “so much snow and not enough clothing to match. I much prefer something tropical.” 

Where she grew up (and with whom) certainly showed in Tin-Tin’s mannerisms, and Kayo couldn’t help but look to Lady Penelope. She was absolutely beaming with pride, not bothering to hide how happy this whole exchange was making her. 

“Tin-Tin? Is...is that really you?” 

Glancing to the side, Scott was the first to shake off the shock of the arrival and reunion. Swiveling elegantly, Tin-Tin nodded happily. 

“It is. My, what a catch you’ve become, Scott Tracy.” She complemented swiftly, taking a step forward but not engaging in a hug as she had with Mr. Tracy, “and John, you’ve gotten so tall.” 

“Growth spurt.” The redhead admitted with a shrug, “you...uh, erm...look nice.” 

“I certainly hope so.” Tin-Tin chortled, not at all bothered by John’s overall awkwardness, “it’s a good thing Penelope had me remove my makeup before we landed or I’d be an absolute mess, and no one wants to see that.” 

Turning her head slightly, Tin-Tin’s eyes landed on Virgil next. He was squinting slightly, looking between them like he was trying to remember something important, “Virgil. I’d recognize your dark hair anywhere.” 

“I thought I just dreamt there had been two of you.” He admitted with a shrug and blush, “I feel super stupid right now.” 

“Nonsense, you were so young. Gordon and Alan don’t recognize me at all, so don’t feel bad.” Patting Virgil’s shoulder very delicately, Tin-Tin stood before the two youngest brothers. Alan was gawking at her like she had double heads, still taken by the news. Gordon seemed surprised, but his attention was not on Tin-Tin at all. Leaning in to whisper something unheard in his ear, the blonde aquanaut blushed before he smiled like a madman, running off to show Penelope his shirt. 

“Alan,” Tin-Tin greeted, “you were just a baby when I left. But you’ve certainly grown up since then. The best deep space pilot in International Rescue, I hear?” 

Shaking away his glassy look of amazement, Alan was quick to nod and puff out his chest a bit with pride. 

“That’s right. You should let me give you a tour of Thunderbird 3, you’d love it.” 

“Heels and rockets, how very exciting.” Tin-Tin agreed happily, ruffling the boy's hair as he absolutely shined with the prospect of showing off his bird. Finally, Tin-Tin’s yellow cat eyes land on Brains. He seemed small, shifting around on the tarmac. Kayo of course knew he spent more time in a lab then with people, but he was rarely anything but  _ professionally _ awkward. This seemed more than enough awkward to fill TB2 and beyond, “I don’t think we’ve been introduced.” 

“H-hi, uh-uh...erm.” His lips moving but only noises coming out, Tin-Tin waited very patiently as the scientist gathered his words, “H-Hackenbacker, M-Miss Tin-Tin. D-Dr. Hirum Hackenbacker.” 

“Well, that is a mouthful. Is Hirum what you go by? Or do you prefer to stay professional?” 

“Y-you can call me Hirum, if-if you want.” 

“We usually just call him Brains,” Alan supplied helpfully, “cause he’s our Brains.” 

“Brains.” The word fell funny off Tin-Tin’s accent, her b’s extended long and the hard s sound hissing from between her teeth. This just about sent the poor man into shock, his face becoming darker then it’s usual almond tone as his stuttering became more of a babble, “I hope you’ll show me a bit of what you do sometime, Brains. I love a good equation or two.” 

Not seeming to realize what she had done, or knowing full well and ignoring that she had nearly sent their best engineer into mental shutdown, Tin-Tin grabbed Kayo by the arm excitedly as they began to walk back towards the house. “Now, Kayo. You simply must tell me everything there is to know. I’ve missed out on so much, and I’m dying to know what you’ve been doing in International Rescue.” 

“You do know we’ll need our Engineer in a week, right?” Kayo said, the two of them stopping to glance back at where Brains had been left. Alan was apparently trying to help him breathe again, but was failing miserably. A small smile falling to Tin-Tin’s face, she sounded a bit wistful. 

“I do love smart men.” She explained easily, the two of them now walking at a slightly slower pace then before back into the house, “and, between you and me, he’s certainly very cute.” 


	3. Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott has a moment to reflect on his relationship with Kayo, while the boys listen into an important meeting.

###  Chapter 3: Secrets

“Can you believe it?” 

Gordon practically hung in the doorway of the villa, staring out at the pool deck with bulging eyes, “it’s like a dream.” 

“What, that Kayo is in something other than pants?” Virgil asked, playing the piano mindlessly, “I didn’t even know she owned a bikini.” 

Taking a swig of cherry cola, Scott Tracy swallowed hard. Standing at one of the upper windows, his cheeks burned. Kayo was laying sideways on a lawn chair, her entire self exposed, taught stomach flexing under golden skin as she laughed at whatever she, Penny and Tin-Tin were discussing. Scott wasn’t sure when he began to get flustered around Kayo, but it was too easy for that steely gaze to pin him like a bug on a wall. Now though, seeing her actually laughing and comfortable, it made his heart skip around like a flat stone. 

“Two gorgeous women and Kayo in a bikini on our deck.” Gordon mused, “it just isn’t real. It can’t be.” 

“Are you implying that Kayo  _ isn’t  _ gorgeous?” John queried from behind his magazine, orange brow lifting as Virgil snorted and Scott was forced to put his cola down permanently out of fear of choking on it. 

“Well I mean, I guess. But she’s Kayo.” Gordon whined, “besides, there’s only one girl for me.” 

“One Lady, you mean.” Virgil chuckled, “it’s not a secret, Gords” 

“Oh laugh it up, Virgil. It’s not like you haven’t had your fair share of se—“ 

“Alan!” Scott announced, seeing their youngest brother come into the room from the kitchen. He had gladly helped Grandma clean up dinner, and the others immediately shut it about their ‘escapades’. 

“Hey guys. What are we talkin’ about?” 

“Nothing, Al.” Scott chuckled, straightening out his shirt awkwardly and pulling at his collar. Being caught glancing Kayo’s direction would ruin his ‘cool older brother’ reputation; time for a subject change. “where’s Brains?” 

“Probably breathing into a paper bag somewhere.” Alan joked, “Tin-Tin nearly gave him a heart attack.” 

“It’s still weird, seeing someone else with Kayo’s face walking around.” Gordon admitted with a half-stretch, “I mean, they are so different.” 

Indeed they were. Kayo was like a sister to them, if not reserved and secretive about her personal life. They knew her well; it was comfortable. Tin-Tin was more of an enigma, even to Scott who remembered her from before she left. The girl was open and chatty at dinner, very much matching Lady Penelope in her elegance, mannerisms and sense of style. But like Kayo there was something guarded about her, like she wasn’t quite as gentle as she appeared. She talked excitedly about Singapore, but not what she was actually doing there. She explained what she studied in Switzerland, but hardly enough to encompass four years of study. 

It wasn’t hard to figure she and Penelope had spent a lot of time together growing up, if the small little side glances they shared whenever Tin-Tin skirted around something important was enough of a tell. It was fascinating to watch, though Scott had been more focused on Kayo herself at the dinner table. Having known her since childhood, he of course remembered the happy little girl she had been back then. But when Tin-Tin left without much warning (or so Scott presumed), she became quiet. That steely nature of hers only extended and grew more tedious into her later years, and up until today had been her norm. 

Now she was nothing but smiles, loose and happy and laughing. It was both comforting and disconcerting, to see her so casual all of a sudden. Scott had heard somewhere that losing a twin was like losing a limb. And though they made sure to include Kayo in their family, Scott couldn’t help but think it hadn’t been enough to fill the gap that Tin-Tin had left behind. Not so dissimilar to the hole losing his father had caused in him. 

“Thinking hard about something, Scott?” 

Speak of the devil. Glancing up from his wanderings, father had appeared beside him. Jeff looked tired but happy, sitting down in a nearby chair as Scott only nodded. 

“A bit, sir. I’ve never seen Kayo so happy before.”

“This reunion was a long time coming. They both deserve it, after being apart for so long.” 

“Why did she come back?” Scott queried, watching his brothers engage in a pillow fight against poor John, who wasn’t prepared for such shenanigans and had to take cover behind the sofa, “I mean, it’s great that she did. But why now, after everything that’s happened?” 

Seeing his father frown slightly, he shook his head.

“I think that’s something you’ll have to ask her yourself, son. It’s not really my place to say. But if you would do an old man a favor and fetch them for me?” 

“Sure father, but why?” 

“Mm, Kayo, Tin-Tin, Penelope and I have some business to discuss. Private matters I’m sorry to say.” 

Staring at father for a moment, Scott’s curiosity ignited. Jeff Tracy knew that no secret could truly be kept in this house — not with EOS wired into the mainframe of IR itself. This meant one of two things. 1.) It  _ was _ a secret meeting and they needed to stay out of it. Or, based on that glint in his father's eye, 2.) The boys were supposed to listen into the meeting without being noticed. Scott of course suspected the latter, rather than the former. 

“Something wrong?” he prodded delicately, hoping for more information. Jeff though wasn’t ready to give it, merely shaking his head again. 

“Nothing to worry about, son. Tell the girls to meet me in the study.” 

Watching the man stand and walk away, Scott moved down into the living room to help John up from an avalanche of fluff. 

“John, I need you and EOS to hook up a comm into dad’s office.” 

“Dad’s office is off limits.”John complained, catching the other boys attention as they slowly gathered to listen in, “what’s the situation?” 

“Not sure yet, but a secret meeting is about to go down and I have a feeling dad doesn’t want it to stay secret.” 

“FAB, Scott. I’m guessing my room is about to get invaded?” 

“Afraid so. You guy’s head up to, help him and EOS if you can.” 

Suddenly in ‘mission ready’ mode, the guys all nodded and followed John upstairs as Scott released the top button on his shirt. He wasn’t expecting Tin-Tin to come along with her own set of secrets, but he supposed it ran in the family. Kayo had kept her Uncle a secret for nearly five years, and Scott had no doubt that wasn’t the only thing she’d been hiding. Stepping out into the warm tropical night, the girl's laughter echoed in the air as he (casually as possible) shoved both hands into his pockets. Kayo looked even better up close then she did at a distance, her abs raised slightly and still slick with pool water. 

Swallowing thickly, Scott cleared his throat. Penny, dressed in something pink and chiffon as per usual, sat up at his heed. 

“Scott, darling. Were we disturbing you?” 

“Not at all, Lady P.” Scott answered swiftly, his confidence betraying the lump which had formed in his throat as Kayo moved to throw a sheer red swimsuit cover over her shoulders, “dad asked if you three would meet him in his office.” 

“Ah, I suppose it is that time. Come ladies,” Standing elegantly, Penelope grabbed her bag and headed inside. She was followed by Tin-Tin, lovely in a red and white get-up decorated in strings and hidden under a knotted blouse top. Kayo was the last to pass by him, and (knowing her best), Scott gently took her arm. 

“Is everything ok?” He asked her, whispering so Penny and Tin-Tin couldn’t hear. The girl pursed her lips and gave a small shrug. 

“I know as much as you. We’ll debrief after it’s done. John’s room, right?” 

“Right.” Nodding his head and letting her go, Scott couldn’t help but linger. Kayo was staring up at him, her yellow eyes glinting slightly in the light of the villa, “you...hem, look really nice in that, by the way.” 

Before she was able to say anything in response, Penny’s call at the porch door made them rapidly step back from one another. Scott didn’t know when they had gotten so close, and he could only rub the back of his neck as she ran to catch up and soon vanished. Scoffing at his own embarrassment, Scott glanced up as someone appeared on John’s balcony overlooking the pool. 

“Scotty! Hey, come on.” Gordon urged quietly, “bring up popcorn.”

Rolling his eyes, Scott nodded and jogged back into the house. He entered John’s room with two bowls of popcorn, passing one to Gordon and Alan as they slapped hands excitedly. 

Sitting down in the swivel chair saved for him, Virgil sat cross legged on the bed while Gordon and Alan spread out on the carpet. John was at his desk, tapping away until the projection appeared. 

Jeff was seated at his mahogany desk, fingers steepled in thought as he leaned back in his chair. Penelope perched on its corner, looking as suited to be there as any of the other ornaments on its surface. Kayo stood in one of the far corners with her arms crossed, while Tin-Tin maneuvered one of the small side tables into the middle of the room. 

_ “...I can’t be certain of what I saw.”  _ She spoke, the accent suddenly fled from her voice as she worked,  _ “I did some primary research on my way back from Singapore, but it’s not as much as I would like.”  _

Pulling a pen from inside a small clutch she no doubt grabbed on her way to the meeting, Tin-Tin removed its lid and tossed it onto the table. The pen vibrated for a moment before standing perfectly on its tip, projecting a screen into the room. 

“Where can I get one of those?” Gordon complained, Alan only shrugging beside him and being shushed by Virgil as the meeting continued. Tin-Tin maneuvered enough maps and photographs with her hands to make Scott’s head spin until landing on an aerial shot of some sort of marketplace.

_ “I saw them here in the Chinatown Night Market. I was doing some intel on a man called Huang,”  _

_ “I know that area.”  _ Penelope spoke up, moving to swipe some pictures around till they had a better picture of the market itself,  _ “was this the building that you saw them near?”  _

Squinting to see what was being shown, it looked like some sort of hole in the wall casino. Tin-Tin nodded slightly, thumbing her chin. 

_ “Yes. I know it’s a notorious place for questionable individuals to meet in public, but Huang hadn’t been there that night.”  _

_ “MI5 contacted me a few weeks ago about a group of arms dealers in the area running under the name of Crimson Gate.”  _ Penelope explained, pensive in her hair twirling, “ _ They are the worst sort imaginable — recently gotten into the chemical warfare business. Nasty stuff.”  _

_ “So if you really saw the Hood, he may be partnering with this Crimson Gate bunch.”  _ Kayo presumed, the boys all sitting back in surprise. They hadn’t heard anything of Hood since Jeff Tracy returned. They assumed he had been picked up by the GDF after being tossed into space,  _ “and...you said Father was with him?”  _

_ “Possibly. But I can’t be certain.”  _ Tin-Tin admitted, shaking her head,  _ “it was all so fast. I was so startled to see Uncle that I could have been seeing doubles’.”  _

_ “I’m more worried about the possibility of chemical disasters being caused by the Crimson Gate. With Hood’s backing, they could cause serious damage.” Jeff admitted quietly, “Tin-Tin, I assume you’ll be assisting Penelope in this investigation?”  _

_ “Yes sir.”  _

_ “Good. Kayo, I want you to inform Colonel Casey about this new development. Should things start happening, they need to be prepared.”  _

_ “Right, Mr. Tracy. And what about the possibility of Father being alive?”  _

_ “If what you said is true and Kyrano is alive, then both of you are in danger. You’ll all remain here on Tracy Island until further notice. Penelope, you and Parker as well. I want Tin-Tin to have a trusted chaperone until the boys get more comfortable with her around.”  _

_ “Of course, Jeff. And don’t worry girls,”  _ Penelope tried to soothe them, though she too had gained an edge to her voice,  _ “if we nip the bud before it blooms, Hood will no doubt be smoked out of wherever he’s been hiding. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”  _

_ “Are we clear on how to move forward from here?”  _ Jeff asked, looking between his three guests as they gave nods of approval,  _ “alright. Tin-Tin, Grandma has put together a room for you, Kayo can take you there. Lady Penelope, would you care to humor me with a drink?”  _

Breaking apart as the boys watched the small party disperse, John closed up the feed and a heavy silence fell across the room. Gordon and Alan were quiet for once, while Virgil leaned on his elbows as he digested the information. John was already clacking away on his computer, EOS no doubt pulling anything about Crimson Gate out of the World Database. Scott could only stare at the opposite wall, frowning deeply. He now knew why dad wanted them to listen in on the meeting. Chemical disasters...what had they just walked into? 


	4. Midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tin-Tin and Brains have a chance to acquaint themselves, only to be interrupted.

###  Chapter 3: Secrets

Tin-Tin found herself laying awake that night. Her room was spacious, and the bed was soft under her hands. But compared to her hot nights in Singapore, tucked away under flea bitten sheets and listening to the ever growling drone of a sleepless city, Tracy Island was almost too peaceful for her to bare. The night was still young she supposed, as Kayo had only retired an hour or so before, but it felt like an eternity had passed. Maybe one had — 16 years was a long time to be away. Her six-year-old brain didn’t remember Tracy Island, not like she did Creighton-Manor or Switzerland. It was like some kind of dream which she had tried so desperately to remember, but never quite could. 

Sighing slightly in frustration, Tin-Tin pulled the pins from her hair. Her temples ached from the long flight, and she was comfortable in the pair of red silk pajamas she had brought. But sleep would not come. Standing up and closing the balcony doors to the noises of the island, Tin-Tin supposed now was as good a time as any to do some exploring. Perhaps she’d rattle some memories of her past; knock them loose like dust balls from under a table leg. Kicking into a pair of slippers and dawning a robe to avoid catching chill, Tin-Tin slowly poked her head from the guest room. 

It was quiet in the house, the sound of snores coming from behind closed doors. The boys were asleep, deep and filled with whatever boys dreamed about. Passing through quickly, silent like a ghost, she descended the curling staircase into the main living room. She was fond of this room with its circular design, the portraits on the walls soft in the moonlight. Kayo had her own portrait, hanging right there beside the others. Walking up to it, Tin-Tin couldn’t help but ghost a soft hand across the paint. She’d been gone for too long, and Kayo had been graciously accepted into the Tracy family as one of their own. And though it truly felt like a blessing to be back, she couldn’t help but feel the ache of emptiness in her chest. She loved Penny like a sister, just as Kayo loved her brothers, but they as twins never felt further apart. Sighing and turning back to the room, the curved glass walls allowed a generous view of the ocean and stars, and Tin-Tin couldn’t help but admire it for a moment. 

Humming a bit to herself, the girl headed through the dining room. She had seen a staircase leading down into the basement earlier, but hadn’t a chance to really explore. Careful not to trip or slide around on wood steps, Tin-Tin kept to the railing. Down here was almost as quiet as the upstairs, but the sounds of thunking and whirring drew her down a narrow hall. A door was open, allowing white artificial light to seep through. Still silent, Tin-Tin pressed herself against the outside of the door to lean forward and in. 

Brains was hunched over a metal workbench, face obscured by a welding helmet. A strange mechanical creature held two wires for him, it’s body and legs bouncing up and down excitedly as the man sautered them together with surgical precision. 

“A-Almost there, MAX.” He said to the robot, his voice muffled by the helmet, “just a few more…” 

Tin-Tin leant a little too far. Her body began to fall, and in the hurry to correct herself, knuckles rapped against the door causing it to swing. The robot, MAX, immediately looked at her. The wires he held dropped, and there was a bright flash as Brains yelped in panic and stumbled. Falling onto his back with a shallow thud, Tin-Tin winced slightly as he groaned. A thin coat of flash-soot coated his front, and though he looked adorable sprawled out like that, Tin-Tin felt bad for causing the incident. 

“I’m so sorry, Hirum.” She said, making herself known as she stepped into the lab. Leaning down to flick the helmet up, the engineer stared back at her, “I didn’t mean to scare your robot.” 

“M-M-Miss Kyrano.” He greeted her, quickly rolling onto his side and falling to his feet, “I-I’m sorry. I’m such a mess…uh,” 

“Oh, no it was my fault really.” Removing the small cloth handkerchief she kept in her bathrobe pocket, Tin-Tin handed it over, “I hope you’re alright.” 

“I’m fine.” taking the cloth, Hirum began to wipe at his face, “touching opposing wires can sometimes get a bit t-tricky.” 

“I can see that.” Tin-Tin chuckled, looking about the lab. It was covered in parts, some put together to resemble some sort of tool, others mere piles of scrap, “did you make all of this stuff?” 

“Yes. I spend most of m-my time here. It’s important we keep on top of new technology.” 

Seeing the man adjust his glasses, Tin-Tin nearly fell forward again as something nudged her legs from behind. Swiveling, MAX was right there, staring up at her with his big round fish-eye, “oh, t-this is MAX, my lab assistant.” 

“He’s wonderful.” Kneeling down to get a better look, Tin-Tin was amazed by the detail and intricacy of the mechanics, the robot smooth outer plates shining in the light, “is he sentient?” 

“Not yet. I-I hope to expand on his self-learning capabilities soon.” 

Patting the robot on the head, it gave a little chirp as Tin-Tin smiled. 

“He reminds me a bit of a puppy.” 

“Yes. He can react to stimulus, and mimic the reactions of o-others, though he has yet to write any of his own code.” 

“It’s still quite incredible,” Tin-Tin admitted easily, returning to her feet as she continued to have a walk around the lab, taking in everything with her eyes. She hadn’t lied to Kayo about liking smart men. She found them fascinating, and territory which other girls normally didn’t venture. But she had found, in the few smart Swedish boys she had come to know, the intelligent ones often had the biggest hearts, once they learned to get around their equally massive heads. Swiveling around to lean against the counter, Brains shuffled awkwardly under her gaze, “I hope I’m not bothering you, Hirum.” 

“N-no, not at all! I don’t get many visitors down here.” 

“I don’t know much about engineering, I’m more of a chemist myself,” Tin-Tin chirped, picking up a small rover and flipping it to have a glance at the bottom, “I enjoy working with acid compounds.” 

“T-that’s unique,” Brains complemented, “have you made any discoveries?” 

“I’m more of a hobbiest,” Tin-Tin lied, wincing to herself. She wasn’t going to tell him she had created a new form of Agent Orange [1] as her second year final. Not like anyone was supposed to know about that anyway — she had been put on the red list for a month after that exam. 

“That’s w-wonderful.” Brains mused aloud, adjusting his glasses as he once again shuffled around, “I-I hate to ask, Miss Kyrano, but isn’t it a bit late?” 

Glancing up curiously, Tin-Tin softened slightly from her dark thoughts and nodded. 

“It is. I tried to sleep but it’s been such an incredible day, and I’m not very used to the sounds of the Island.” Tipping her head as she lifted an unusual looking tool into her hand, Tin-Tin flipped it in her palm, “so I decided to do a bit of exploring, and I found you. I suppose I don’t really like to be lonely.” 

“O-oh. I see.” 

“Why are you still up at this hour?” 

“I-I work best at night,” Brains admitted, flushing slightly as his stomach growled in protest. Beaming at him, Tin-Tin chuckled again. 

“You missed dinner.” 

“I-I suppose I did…” 

“Come with me, I’ll make you something.”

Soon enough, Brains sat at black granite countertop back upstairs, MAX beside him on the floor excitedly rolling back and forth with chirps and beeps. Tin-Tin focused on her hands, slamming together two haphazardly made BLT sandwiches with a determined look of focus. “It’s not much, I’m a chemist, not a miracle worker. But here, no man needs to go hungry.” 

“L-looks delicious.” 

Smiling happily at him as she moved a stool to sit beside him, Tin-Tin stared at Hirum Hackenbacker for a moment. She wasn’t a shy person — being social was her job. Pulling the engineer out of his lab had been a split-second decision, made to fulfill her need to not sit alone. Now she wasn’t sure how to continue with the exchange. So she ate in silence for a while, kicking her slippered feet back and forth mindlessly. 

“M-Miss Kyrano?” 

Glancing to her companion, Brains was frowning a bit. Something must have been on his mind. 

“You can call me Tin-Tin, Hirum,” she chuckled, setting down her food to give him her full attention, “something wrong?” 

“I-I‘ve never had someone be so kind to me before. A-at least not so soon after being introduced. You don’t have to humor me.” 

Watching the man turn somewhat downcast, he fiddled with square hands in his lap. Was he truly used to such dismissive treatment from people? 

“Oh, Hirum that’s ridiculous.” Tin-Tin admitted, completely genuine and feeling a bit upset, “Why would you think I’d humor someone who’s clearly as sweet as you?” Shaking her head in determination, she slammed a fist into her palm, “if it’s the boys making you feel this way I’ll show them not to mess with…” 

“No, no, M-Miss...I mean, Tin-Tin.” She ruffled at her name off his lips, beating down the blush climbing onto her face. “The others are wonderful, it’s just everyone else.” 

“Everyone else?” She asked curiously, leaning on an elbow, “how do you mean?” 

“N-no one ever takes me seriously. N-not the public or the m-media. Not even the s-scientific community.” appearing a bit frustrated, Brains rested both hands on the edge of the counter and took several deep breaths, “I feel like a j-joke sometimes.”

“Jeff Tracy took you seriously,” Tin-Tin pointed out with a reassuring smile, “and the boys, and Kayo and Penny and Parker. And...me, even though we’ve only just met.” Tapping her long nails against the counter, Tin-Tin folded a leg elegantly as she shrugged dismissively, “and if all those very important people take you seriously, then it shouldn’t matter what all those other idiots say. International Rescue wouldn’t be here without it’s finest engineer, and I know that you know that. Besides, you’re new territory. I bet you love excitement.” 

Poking Brains in the shoulder with a chuckle, MAX chirped in agreement as the man smiled weakly back at her, adjusting his big blue glasses.

“I-I’m hardly exciting,” he complained, twirling a toothpick elegantly between two fingers as he spoke, “I think I-I’m the least exciting person on this Island.” 

“Nonsense. No one else on the island could possibly make the things you have.”

“I-I guess you’re right.” 

“Guy’s like you think too much,” she chuckled, Brains opening his mouth to say something only to jump at the alarm which began to blare through the house. It was sudden, and cast the living room in an eerie red glow as the man practically fell from his barstool. Holding her hands to her ears, Tin-Tin watched her companion fumble towards the middle of the living room. Hands flying, a screen appeared from the table. 

“What’s going on!” 

“W-we have bogey’s incoming.” Brains said, observing a map which showed three red dots locked onto the island and closing in fast, “that’s not possible, the security system should have alerted us earlier. I have to shoot these out of the sky.” 

Falling into one of the nearby chairs, Tin-Tin stood from the counter as he was encased in a holographic frame, grabbing onto two hand controls [2]. Glancing down as MAX bumped into the back of her legs, Tin-Tin knelt to pat his metallic head as Brains pulled double triggers with certainty. Outside, there was a pop and flash as two missiles launched from somewhere unseen, searing the sky with flaming tails as they squealed through the air. Watching them disappear over the ocean, Tin-Tin squinted as there were two explosions out over the water. Unfortunately she didn’t see the last bogey missile till it shattered through the front window. Shocked into stillness, Tin-Tin grunted as someone tackled her to the ground, the flaming tube slamming into the kitchen counter. But there was no explosion, only a clanking of metal against granite as the thing fell to the hardwood, smoking and sparking before fizzling into silence. 

Breathing hard as she sat up, Brains had been the one to drag her down. How he had moved so quickly from one place to another Tin-Tin didn’t know, but she was thankful as the man adjusted his glasses. 

“Hirum, you just…”

“Brains! Tin-Tin!” 

Glancing up, Jeff Tracy was making his way down the stairs. His sons followed after, along with Lady Penelope who was standing on the upper floor balcony still in her nightgown, “what happened? Are you both alright?” 

“F-fine, Mr. Tracy. We were somehow t-targeted by three bogey missiles.” Helping her stand, Tin-Tin could only exhale shakily, holding her rapidly beating heart and both hands around Hirum’s arm. She’d seen a lot in her training, but never had nearly been impaled by a missile, “thankfully this one was a dud.” 

“Don’t be so sure about that, Brains.” John stated, already kneeling over the tube and frowning, “this thing isn’t armed.” 

“Why would someone shoot unarmed missiles?” Alan asked, the house now wide awake as John lifted the thing up onto the counter for a better look. It was painted black, with a red ornamental dragon wrapped around its tube. Tin-Tin had never seen a missile quite like it before, but there was an uncomfortable feeling now tugging at her gut. She recognized that symbol. 

“EOS?” John asked, “got anything?” 

“No John.” The robot echoed through the villa's speaker systems, “I’ve calculated trajectory, but the missiles were launched from a solitary ocean location, and there are no vessels in the area.” 

“Should we launch, father?” Scott asked, “we can search from the air.” 

“No, son. Whoever they were, they’re gone now.” 

“Hold on, I think there’s something in here.” John spoke up, twisting the nose of the tube as it clicked and clattered to the floor. The redhead slowly pulled out a white box which was nestled inside, unmarked and seemingly unassuming. 

“That’s one way to get a package delivered.” Alan joked, only to get a hard whack on the back of the head by Kayo, “ouch, what?” 

“Open it son,” Jeff ordered lightly, his frown deep, and casting long shadows across his tired face. Nodding, John lifted the lid only for his face to go pale. Setting the box down as if it were a bomb, Tin-Tin whisked herself forward to look for herself. 

“Oh...no…” hands shaking as she shifted the lid so it fell away completely, the bloodied inner cotton of the unassuming package held a severed ear, pierced with a large ruby. 

“What does it mean?” Kayo asked, rounding the counter to place a hand on Tin-Tins shoulder as tears leaked from her tired eyes, “Tin-Tin, what is it?” 

“It’s Mr. Huang, the man I was tracking in Singapore,” She croaked, “I think he’s dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Agent Orange: a herbicide and defoliant chemical, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It is widely known for its use by the U.S. military as part of its chemical warfare program. In addition to its damaging environmental effects, traces of dioxin found in the mixture have caused major health problems for many individuals who were exposed.
> 
> [2] The missile defense system used in this chapter is the same system used by Scott and Captain Lee Taylor in the episode "Relic".


	5. Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tin-Tin and Kayo confide in Penelope as new frustrations arise, and secrets continue to be uncovered.

###  Chapter 5: Promises

“Focus, Tin-Tin. Your mind is elsewhere.” 

Hearing the familiar slap of fist and heel against handpads, Kayo leaned in the doorway of the training gym. Penelope and Tin-Tin had taken it over for the afternoon, something about ‘letting off steam’ according to the blonde aristocrat. Penelope was currently coaching, dressed down from her usual in a simple neon pink top and workout pants with her blonde tresses pulled up into a bun. Tin-Tin was dressed similarly, though had wrapped her wrists and ankles in tape as her black ponytail flipped with each strike of foam. 

“I just...don’t...understand!” She huffed with each punch, beads of sweat running down the sides of her neck as Penny swiped and she ducked to avoid the cross, “I tracked Mr. Huang. In...Singapore. We captured him. How. Could. He. Possibly. Be.  _ Dead? _ ” 

Grunting as she misstepped, Tin-Tin circled away from Penelope’s hands frustrated as the woman shook off the mits and tossed them to the side. They obviously did little to ease Tin-Tin’s frustrations, and Kayo thought maybe Penny was stopping the training as both of them were sweating. 

“You shouldn’t focus so much on the how, darling.” The blonde spoke, falling into a stance as she raised her fists, “but the  _ why.”  _

“Why is Mr. Huang dead?” Tin-Tin repeated, the two women beginning to spar as elegantly as a waltz. Having never seen Penelope fight (like  _ really  _ fight), Kayo let herself be impressed. She dodged each kick and punch with the same grace and agility she wore on a day to day basis, dancing around Tin-Tin as they discussed the severed ear now hidden in the top corner of the freezer until Brains finished the DNA analysis, 

“Quite right,” Penelope huffed, skidding a leg under Tin-Tin’s feet as she jumped to avoid being tripped, “ _ why  _ would someone be killed as such?” 

“Because he got caught?” 

“Maybe.” Bouncing off the floor into a back handspring, Penelope was back on her feet again as she placed both hands on her hips, “what else?” 

“He knows something he shouldn’t?” 

Tin-Tin launching herself into a flying corkscrew, Penelope dodged by tumbling under the girls feet and popping up again on the other side of her, 

“Could be.” 

“What if he was planning on cutting a deal with MI-6?” 

Wincing from the doorway as Penelope found a hole in her sister's defenses, Tin-Tin was thrown to the mat with a grunt, the blonde woman on top of her. 

“Now you’ve got it, love.” 

“I see.” Not seeming bothered that she was on the floor, Tin-Tin groaned as Penelope huffed out a breath and laid beside her as they stared up at the ceiling, “do you think it would be better if I left?” 

Kayo’s heart sunk at the admittance, her own frown deepening. Penelope merely folded her hands behind her head as she shrugged slightly. 

“Well I don’t know, darling.” 

“I mean, it’s my fault Tracy Island got targeted. Only I would have known who the ear belonged to. What if I’m putting the family in danger?” 

“It’s hard to kill a Tracy, my dear,” Penelope chortled, tapping a toe on the mat as she sighed, “they can handle themselves. And I do say that Kayo would be very disheartened to see you leave so soon. Isn’t that right?” 

Jumping out of her skin at being addressed, Penelope moved to rest on her elbows as she smiled from across the gym, “come join us, you’ve been standing there long enough.”

“I was sweating just watching you two.” Kayo quipped, masking her embarrassment at being caught with cockiness as she strolled across the mats and sat cross legged across from the two other women, “were you really thinking of leaving again, Tin-Tin?” 

“I don’t know, Kayo.” The girl groaned, tossing an arm across her eyes as Penelope rolled her head slightly at the display, “I don’t want to stay if I’m putting you all at risk. Crimson Gate is no laughing matter — and you all have other work to do.” 

“We’ve dealt with our fair share of close calls, Tin,” Kayo admitted, thinking about the past few months battling it out with the Mechanic, Chaos Crew and Hood, “I think the boys will agree with me that there’s no safer place you could be then Tracy Island.” 

“I almost got impaled by a missile.” Tin-Tin whined, “who’s to say those bastards won’t try something more extreme next time?” 

“The missile wasn’t technically meant to kill you, darling.” Penelope pointed out mindlessly, frowning at a nail which she had chipped, “oh dear, and I did like this color.” 

“Pen-bear, please focus.” Tin-Tin cried, grunting as she rolled over to lay on her stomach. 

“ _ Pen-bear? _ ” Kayo drawled, barely keeping back her laughter as Penelope once again tossed her head in feigned indignance. 

“Just a nickname from our childhood. Though discretion about it around the boys is  _ most  _ appreciated.” Receiving a level glare from the aristocrat, Kayo lifted her hands and fought down her twitching smile. 

“I won’t say anything, especially not after the way you pinned my sister without any trouble.” 

“I was  _ thinking,” _ Tin-Tin complained immediately, “I’ve gotten Penny down before.” 

“Once, when I was snockered after the annual Holiday charity gala.” Penelope chuckled, waving a hand dismissively as Tin-Tin sniggered and Kayo arched a brow, “only then, Tinaya Kyrano, were you able to pin me. I hold my reputation of being the bigger woman in high regard, you know.”

“Whatever, Penny.” Tin-Tin mumbled, resting on her two open palms, “I wonder how Hirum is doing on that analysis.” 

“Probably quadruple testing his work for the second time.” Kayo shrugged, not missing the wistful way her sister's finger moved to trace invisible patterns on the mat, “He’s an Engineer, organic matter really isn’t his thing.” 

“I’m sure he’ll be through after we’ve had a nice cool off and a cup of iced tea by the poolside.” Penelope announced, rolling to her feet easily as Tin-Tin grunted and followed suit, stretching her back out with a wince, “don’t be dramatic, I didn’t throw you that hard.” 

“Yes you did,” 

“Knocked some sense into you, didn’t it?” Penelope chided, waving the girl away to grab towels as she turned her attention on Kayo, “will you be joining us? I think a nice swim could do you some good -- it seems you have something on your mind.” 

“I have a lot on my mind,” Kayo admitted, shoving her hands into the pockets of her shorts as Penelope tipped her head lightly to one side. 

“Care to discuss it? You know I’m an excellent confidant.” 

“That…” Kayo wanted to say no; she always looked out for herself and confiding in others never had come naturally. But the boys wouldn’t understand, as much as she loved them, and Penelope was often gracious in her advice, “that sounds good, actually. I think I need to get it off my chest.” 

“Splendid. Tin-Tin, change of plans, darling. Kayo and I need to have a little tête-à-tête out by the pool.” 

Accepting a steaming towel from the girl who had returned in a loose red blouse and leggings, she nodded with a smile. 

“Sure. I think I’ll go see what Hirum is up to — maybe I can help him somehow.” 

Blinking as Penelope said something in brisk French as a response, Tin-Tin’s cheeks darkened with blush. Though Kayo herself knew little of the language of love, it sounded like a playful accusation as her twin made a huff not dissimilar to Penny’s usual sound of befuddlement, “it’s not like that and you know it.” She grumbled, Penelope only chortling in response as Tin-Tin huffed again and turned to Kayo, "I’ll see you at lunch, Kay?” 

“Yeah, see you.” 

Turning as the other girl practically ran off, Kayo returned her attention to Penelope again in confusion, “what did you say?” 

“Oh nothing, darling.” The woman insisted, tossing the towel over her shoulder as they looped arms and began the short walk up to the pool deck, “but I was talking to EOS this morning —“ 

“I didn’t know you and EOS were well acquainted.” Kayo admitted in shock, “she actually talked to you?” 

“Well I meant to speak to John, but he was preoccupied so his assistant and I had a pleasant little chat instead. But  _ apparently  _ she caught Tin-Tin and Brains sharing a  meal together last night after hours. Before of course the disruption.” Penelope spoke in a tone only Kayo could hear, clearly excited to be sharing what she had found out. Kayo of course knew Penelope loved gossip, and she was a bit worried that her and EOS now had something more in common besides work, “and according to her assessment,” Penelope continued mindlessly, “the darlings were getting along quite splendidly.” 

“Huh,” nodding slowly, Kayo pulled her brows together as they stepped out of the living room and onto the sunlit porch, “Tin-Tin and Brains. I...I guess I don’t really know her all that well, huh?” 

“Tinaya has always had a fondness for the intellectual types,” Penelope admitted with a slow nod and what appeared to be a bit of a wince, “she’s a dear girl, but all too easily  _ seduced  _ my fathers more...hem, scholarly investors, back when she still lived at home.” Smiling at a memory Kayo couldn’t see, Penelope shook her head quickly, “she’s like you, Kayo. Not someone who would let a man, or anyone else for that matter, control her in any way, shape or form. Which includes her romantic interests.” 

Choosing to sit in a shady corner boxed in by bamboo fencing, and surrounded by palm leaves, Penelope laid herself out on one of the cushioned chairs. Kayo sat on the edge of one, but couldn’t find it in her to relax, “something really is on your mind,” Penny mused, seeming to realize this was a semi-serious matter and rising to sit back up so they sat face to face, “out with it, darling. I’m at your disposal.” 

“It’s...I don’t know, it’s a mix of stuff.” Kayo admitted, tapping a leg like a taught wind up toy, “I’m just not sure how to feel. Part of me feels whole again, now that Tin-Tin is here after so long. But another part, a  _ smarter  _ part, is suspicious.” 

Watching Penelope’s face, her expression was perfectly neutral. There wasn’t a single twitch of emotion in her gaze, only a slight nod of ‘yes I’m listening’ as a cue to continue on. “And I know it’s silly,” Kayo breathed, rubbing her temples, “but with the Hood still out there,  _ anything  _ could happen. I don’t know Tin-Tin well enough to...fully trust her, I guess. Nothing bad has happened with Hood’s scent on it for months, not until Tin got here.” 

It was true, as much as Kayo hated to admit it. All had been going well for International Rescue since Jeff’s return; almost too well for someone who had been trained to see the unordinary. From a familial standpoint, she wanted Tin-Tin home, it was a dream ever since she was small. But from a  _ work  _ standpoint, Tin-Tin Kyrano was unordinary, and brought something unordinary back into their lives with the looming threat of Crimson Gate, Hood, and the possibility that their father wasn’t dead. 

Staring at her hands, the conflict felt like a monsoon raging inside her. After all, Penelope was practically Tin-Tin’s family, they had grown up together in London. It almost felt like she was asking the wrong person for advice. But the aristocrat didn’t hash out any judgement, and didn't question what Kayo felt. She only rested a well manicured hand on her knee and took a careful breath of her own. 

“Kayo. You are  _ excellent  _ at your job.” She complemented, softly, as to not be accidentally overheard, “your instincts are top notch, and if Jeff didn’t have his talons already in you, then  _ I  _ would.” Sitting back lightly, Penelope sighed as she folded both hands in her lap, “that being said, I agree with you that Tin-Tin isn’t telling us the full truth about what happened in Singapore.” 

“You mean it’s not just me being paranoid?” 

“Not entirely.” Penelope admitted, “as I said, EOS and I conversed, and it wasn’t just about casual gossip. According to what she found for me, Tin-Tin was in the country a month longer than what was assigned to her by the British government. I have Parker connecting with some of my contacts to try and track exactly what she was up to. But for now it’s slow going.” 

“Do you think she’s working with the Hood?” Kayo asked unhappily, an uncomfortable feeling twisting deep in her gut as Penelope pursed her lips. This simple signal was enough to send Kayo back to leaning on her knees, staring at the concrete, “but you haven’t found anything?” 

“It’s barely been 24-hours darling. My contacts are agents, not miracle workers.” Penelope chortled lightly, only to return to a serious facade as she fingered her french tips, “my advice to you, Kayo, is simple. Keep an eye and an ear open, as you always do, but  _ don’t  _ get too deep into it unless you feel you must.” 

“Why?” 

Frowning, Penelope actually appeared a bit worried as she once again rested a palm on Kayo’s knee, giving it a very small squeeze. 

“Because I fear whatever this is travels far deeper than anyone can imagine, and is well outside the authority of Jeff and International Rescue. I can only assume any disaster is intentional collateral. And if it’s true Tin-Tin is somehow involved, on our side or not…” shaking her head, Penelope made sure to lock eyes with Kayo, “I think it’s best for you not to know the truth until you’re ready to take it.” 

Kayo’s first instinct was to get defensive. She could handle  _ anything;  _ she was trained to handle the most difficult situations imaginable. But as her mind whirled, she couldn’t help but feel suddenly ill. If Tin-Tin really was involved, it would be like when the boys found out the Hood was her Uncle. It had the possibility to tear her apart inside and she knew it. “Situations like this get messy when family is involved,” Penelope whispered, seeming to know where Kayo’s mind had ended up as her thumb made circles on her knee cap, “mine was torn apart because of what we do. And I will keep this family together for as long as I can, that I can promise you. But Kayo,” glancing up to meet Penelope’s eyes again, Kayo felt cold at the look of seriousness which filled them, “if it comes down to the wire, you  _ have  _ to be ready to protect what you know. Do you understand?” 

It took a moment for the younger woman to realize what Penelope was insinuating. But when the answer did come, she felt winded and hurt. ‘If you are forced to make a choice, protect the family you know.’ 

“I...I understand.” 

“Hopefully this is just us being overly cautious,” Penelope admitted with a sigh, the tense mood seeming to dissipate as she stood from the lounger, “I need to find Parker — best to make sure he doesn’t  _ enjoy  _ himself too much while he’s here.” 

“Penelope, wait.” 

Standing up herself, Kayo rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as the blonde stopped to address her again, “I...thank you. You’re as much part of this family as the rest of us, you know. We couldn’t do it without you.” 

“All the more reason to protect it.” She answered without missing a beat, “remember, eyes and ears open.” 

Nodding firmly, Penelope vanished back into the house as Kayo sighed, darting off the patio as laughter caught her ear. Glancing from behind a palm tree, Tin-Tin had somehow dragged Brains out from the lab, the two of them talking animatedly about something as they began the trek up to the island observatory. Sighing heavily as she looked to the canopy above her head, Kayo began to walk down the path. Hopefully Penelope was right, and they really were just being overly cautious. 

* * *

**3,000 Miles Away (Singapore)**

The room was dark and smelled of dust and smoke. The old wood floor creaked eerily, the sounds of the city leaking even now through thin plaster walls. To Patel, it felt like the outside world was simply mocking him. Sitting on the worn cot provided to him, the lonely man swung his leg over the edge, kicking it back and forth as his memories wandered to a better time. He missed his wife and his daughters. He missed the freedom he had back then, before everything had gone so wrong. 

Resting his aching head against the wall where he sat, a drop of water from a crooked pipe splashed across his nose, disturbing the caked blood and dust which rested there. He had tried everything, but was now a broken man and a shell of his former self. All because of  _ him _ . His own brother, ruthlessly tearing apart anything he had ever held dear. His false death meant his daughters were safe from harm, but it also meant no one knew he was alive. There was only one instance a week or so before, when he was paraded about in the narrow alley of the Chinese Night Market. The Crimson Gate was  _ alive.  _ Everything Ghaat had been working towards was finally ready. 

But that night, as he was hauled through the street like a walking corpse with bells on, his brother wanting nothing more than to  _ brag  _ about what he had done, Patel thought he saw her. He determined of course he must have imagined her, sitting at a cafe table in red and silk, watching him with the face of someone who he had yearned so badly to return to. He couldn’t say which twin he had conjured, as it was only a moment before he was shoved into the back of a van and returned to his prison. But it was enough, god it was enough to make him  _ hope.  _

Eyes opening slowly as the metal door creaked open and two shadows entered the room, Patel frowned at them. 

“What have you come for?” 

There was no answer as he was hauled to his feet and made to walk. The trip was short, but the smell of food and cigars, and the sounds of ringing slot machine bells made his mind spin. But as he was shoved into the office of his brother, Ghaat was waiting for him, smiling in such a way that it made him wonder. 

“Kyrano.” He spoke, the new cybernetic hand paid for by the Crimson Gate clicking and whirring against his organic one as Patel was forced to his knees, “my own dear brother.” 

“What do you want? I have nothing more to tell you.” 

“Oh I know; you’re a broken man. It’s really a shame,” Ghaat spoke harshly, chuckling as he looked out the window into the city, “you thought you could keep your daughters from me. I know where Kayo is, I’ve always known. What with her flying about with those  _ boys. _ ” 

Not knowing where exactly this conversation was headed, Ghaat once again smiled maliciously, turning to look at him, “but now, I have seen them both. I have finally found little Tin-Tin.” 

Patel felt his heart lurch as the man now known as Hood moved to perch on the top of his desk, “I have  _ seen  _ them, Kyrano. Finally together after 16 long years. And soon enough, they will  _ both  _ come to me. And I will destroy everything you’ve ever cared about right before your eyes.” 

“They will never come here.” Patel spat angrily. “I will never help you get them.” 

“Oh no, dear brother. No, no. I don’t need  _ you.  _ You’re merely a prize now; to them you’re a dead man. I’ve been foolish in thinking I could force apart International Rescue from inside their ranks. But now, I can hit two birds with one stone, as it were.”

“What are you talking about?” Patel questioned. Ghaat merely smirked in victory, steepling his fingers. 

“I can’t get to Kayo or Tin-Tin while they are in the proximity of Jeff Tracy and his sons. But I can lure them here using an  _ outside  _ source; to bait a trap, as it were. A young woman who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting face to face only a handful of times is close to both of them, and is an essential part of International Rescue’s inner workings. She will be my target, and no one will ever be the wiser until she’s brought to me in pretty little shambles.” 

Frowning, Ghaat waved a hand dismissively as Patel was hauled back to his feet. 

“What do you plan to do!” 

“What I should have done ages ago. I’m going to  _ destroy  _ International Rescue. But don’t worry,” that evil laugh echoing through the room again, Hood pressed a red button on his desk as Patel was hauled away, “you’ll have company soon enough.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Lady Penelope is a mix of TOG, TAG and Thunderbirds 2004 in this story, she's not exclusive to one variation as I love them all. 
> 
> [2] I don't know if Kyrano from TOG was ever given a first name (please leave a comment if you know). Patel was pulled from Bhasker Patel, Kyrano's actor from the 2004 film.


	6. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gordon and Penelope go to investigate the missile launch, only to discover a shocking and worrying truth.

###  Chapter 6: Moments

A moment of thought, a second of debate, the  _ danger  _ of hesitance. These were things that Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward couldn’t always spare in her line of work. Though she hadn’t dawned the catsuit in years, there were still some situations where a moment (sometimes less) stood between life and death. That’s why her mind worked the way it did: quick, decisive, cold and witty. Not because she didn’t like to have a moment to breathe, or to stop and take stock of a situation when things got bad. She simply didn’t have the  _ time  _ to wait and think about it. As her father had said to her many times over: act first, damage control later. 

This was the reason she felt so uncomfortable standing at the edge of Thunderbird 4’s launch bay, staring out at the sky which was turning to a blood orange color. All this  _ waiting.  _ The conversation she had with Kayo had set her thoughts alight, the need to  _ understand  _ burning through her like poison. It was an addiction of hers, the thrill of the chase. But the chase couldn’t start without proper information. Information Parker was gathering for her using FAB 1’s computer systems, matched with EOS’s incredible intellect and processing power. That’s why she needed Gordon now, to take her where she needed to be, where she could be useful. 

“Lady Penelope.” 

Blinking to alertness as she swiveled elegantly around, Gordon was suited up. The blue wetsuit defined his muscles, each one rippling with movement as Penelope sighed shakily. How desperately she wanted him to hold her, but now was  _ not  _ the time to make any moves on their tedious relationship status.

“Gordon. I’m glad you got Parker’s message, thank you for coming.” 

“Why didn’t you come to me yourself?” Gordon looked a bit hurt that  _ Parker  _ of all people had passed on Penelope’s message to meet as she smiled tightly at him. 

“I needed a moment to think, that’s all. It’s very peaceful down here; you have a beautiful view.” 

“Yeah,” stepping forward, Penelope let Gordon touch her face, and brush her hair with nylon covered fingers. It sent a shiver through her. The things they could do down here, alone, would make even Parker blush red, “not as beautiful as you though.” 

Penelope let him kiss her. Not a long kiss, just something gentle, lingering for more as she gently pushed him away after a few seconds. 

“I wish I could do this now, Gordon.” She admitted, “but I have a task which needs to be done first.” 

“Right...yeah, sorry. Read the moment wrong, then?” Gordon choked awkwardly, shutting up as Penelope pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth, “you’re giving me mixed signals, sweetheart.” He complained when she pulled away, following her lead as she tugged him towards Thunderbird 4 by the hand. 

“I need you to take me to the place where the missiles were launched.” She told him, shaking off her need to kiss him again (they so rarely had time alone) and putting the mission at the forefront, “I have a hunch about something, but it’s imperative that I prove it.” 

“Your wish is my command, m’lady.” Gordon drawled, pressing a button so his sub’s hatch opened with a hiss and a clunk, “Kayo would be so proud. TB4’s spotless these days — I never know when you’ll want some underwater atmosphere, after all.” 

Wagging his brows at her, Penelope rolled her eyes and chuckled. 

“Is that what we’re calling it now? Underwater atmosphere?” 

“It’s natural mood lighting,” Gordon complained, crawling into the front seat to start pre-takeoff checks as Penelope got settled in the seat behind him. It was certainly a cozy little sub, one the aquanaut loved more than her sometimes, “alright, systems are good, and she’s purring like a kitten. All passengers buckled?” 

“Buckled.” Penelope confirmed, grasping her harness as the door shut and locked with a solid click, “ready when you are, maestro.” 

“At your command, your highness.” Gordon teased, “launching in 5...4...3...2...1.” 

Penelope felt the ramp as it rose, the clamps keeping TB4 in place releasing noisily from somewhere under her feet. Gordon’s hands worked elegantly, and soon they slipped easily into the crystalline water, “Thunderbird 4 is go. Heading to the right coordinates now. You’re now free to move about the cabin.” 

“Good, I need to change.” 

Releasing herself from the small seat, Gordon’s reflection blinked in the windscreen. 

“I thought we were just going to check out the area?” 

“Oh no, darling,” Penelope mumbled, opening the duffle which she  _ knew  _ Gordon kept a spare wetsuit in, “if my thought is correct, then I’ll want to be out there the minute we find what I’m looking for.” 

“Which is...what, exactly?” 

“You’ll know it when you see it.” Penny insisted, stripping down elegantly even in such a narrow space. She had done this enough in the catsuit in her early days of spy work that it felt familiar. Stretching the plastic and nylon of the thing up over her curves, Gordon gave a low whistle from his seat. 

“You know you look great in that.” He complemented, not taking his eyes off the water in front of him as Penelope heaved the thin yellow oxygen tank onto her back, “I could always use a copilot you know.” 

“I prefer not to smell like dead fish and sulfur whenever I arrive at my galas, thank you, Gordon.” She clipped with a light chuckle, causing him to grunt slightly in offense. 

“I shower.” 

“Once isn’t always enough my love,” Penny admitted, leaning over the back of the pilots chair to get a better look, “how far out are we?” 

“Not far. They were close range tactical missiles, easily attainable from the internet. Especially if they don’t have any actual explosives in them. The  _ ear  _ though might be a bit harder to come by.” 

“You’d be surprised how many parts of human beings one can find on the black market.” Penelope mused, Gordon stiffening in his chair as he glanced up at her, “you may not want to know the details of that one, dear.” 

“Right. We should be approaching the area now.” Flicking a few buttons and switches, Gordon smiled, “let there be light.” 

The floodlights attached to the underbelly of Thunderbird 4 illuminated the muddy bottom with a reverberant buzz, casting deep shadows across the rocks and sea bed. There wasn’t much by way of life out in this area, mostly rocks and sand. This made it easier to spot the anomaly, “woah, take a look at that.”

“Never doubt a woman’s intuition,” Penelope advised him as they began to approach the wreckage of a medium sized yacht. 

“This thing looks pretty new.” Gordon observed, following the curve of the hull expertly, “no algae growth or animal life yet.” 

“I think we found the ship which launched our missiles.” Penelope mused, “what a shame.” 

“Wait, you mean…” 

“Quite right. We couldn’t locate the ship on radar because it had been sunk shortly after launching that warning.” Penelope explained, setting the plastic face mask against her cheeks as she tested it, “get me as close as you can to the deck, then open the airlock.” 

“I’ll come with you,” 

“No, I need you to keep the lights on. It’s going to get dark in there — I’ll need whatever light you can give me.” 

“If you’re sure, but I’ll keep close just in case.” 

Nodding in agreement, Gordon began to maneuver around the sunken hull as Penelope opened her compact, activating the GPS tracker so Parker could find them when he and EOS finished their task, “you’re all set, Lady P. Sure you don’t want an escort? I’m sure there’s a tux in here somewhere.” 

“Very humorous, Gordon.” She chided loosely, making her way down the short metal ladder into the airlock, “all set down here.” 

“FAB. Releasing in three, two…” 

Penelope didn’t hear one before she was dropped into the ocean. Taking a moment to gather herself, the wetsuit thankfully was protective against the chill of the night. Watching TB4’s hatch shut behind her, Penelope gave her mask another check, then tapped her comms. 

“Gordon, this is Penelope. Is my communication working alright?” 

_ “Loud and clear. You’re good to go, I’m not picking up any lifesigns on the wreck.”  _

“FAB. I’m heading in.” 

_ “Be careful, Pen.”  _

Nodding (even though Gordon couldn’t see her at the moment), Penelope began the short swim to the ship. It was always an eerie experience, exploring shipwrecks. She had done it before of course, what with old Spanish sailing vessels, lost military vehicles and so on. But it never got any better, especially with her chest light throwing deep indigo silhouettes across the now silent hull. 

Arriving at the main deck, the yacht itself looked expensive, not one made to shoot missiles. But as she explored, four large bolt holes proved to her that something had, at one point, been haphazardly attached to the bow. Something large, heavy, and with enough force to rip itself clean off its footing. 

“Gordon, I’ve found where the launcher was mounted. It appears the ship wasn’t built for it; the thing came right off its bolts during launch.” 

_ “So it was a civilian vessel made to be a temporary battleship?” _

“Apparently so. I’m heading into the interior. Can you try and locate any damage on the exterior hull? Maybe figure out how she went down?” 

_ “FAB.”  _

Watching Thunderbird 4 move above her head, Penelope exhaled shallowly as she turned to the open door. The hinges were badly bent, either the door being forced open during the ship’s fall, or sometime before then. Swallowing her trepidation about the narrowness of interior spaces, Penny kicked her feet as she made her way inside. Losing sight of Gordon made her feel significantly less safe, but something about the atmosphere was making her very uncomfortable. Looking through doorways that were open, or partially open, nothing appeared to be out of place. The ship was obviously being lived on, by several people, the crew or owners perhaps. 

Making her way towards the middle of the ship, Penelope had to force a door open when she made it to the end of one of the side corridors. Giving it a good shove, the door fell in and Penelope's heart lurched into her throat. 

_ People.  _

There were people in the center of the ship, though some of them were so badly mangled that they were unidentifiable. At least a dozen, maybe more, all floating lifeless in a blackened room charred by fire. An explosion had killed them all at once, and any survivors would have drowned when the ship went down. 

“...Gordon, do you copy?” 

_ “I’m here. Find anything?”  _

“I...we need to get a hold of John. He needs to alert the Australian authorities…” 

_ “Pen, what happened? What is it?”  _

“People, Gordon. At least a dozen or more, killed by an explosion in the center of the ship.” 

Her hands quivering in fear, Gordon was quiet for a long moment. Penelope could hear his breathing though, labored and heavy as he digested the information. 

_ “Come up, Pen.”  _

“Not yet. I haven’t found what I’m looking for.” 

Not wanting to fight with Gordon over this, Penelope ignored his pleas for her to return as she slowly made her way into, what she assumed had been, a ballroom. It explained why it had felt so eerie before. Penelope had seen enough in her time as a field agent to know how the sight of a body could affect a person’s mood. But a room filled with innocent people, caught in an inferno no doubt  _ purposefully set  _ by whoever had shot the missiles at Tracy Island? It was horrible, and it made Penelope’s stomach clench painfully. Jerking in panic as something touched her arm from behind, the woman turned.

It was a rifle, floating about in the water. It’s strap, badly charred but not disintegrated by the blaze, was wrapped around the wrist of a corpse. Tilting her head at the slight glisten on a skeletal finger which her light picked up, Penelope found her fear suddenly missing as she took the body by the hand and hauled it closer. She couldn’t identify the face as it was badly burned, but she could pull off the stranger's ring which had survived. Taking it in a palm and pushing the body away to float listlessly again (at peace, she hoped) Penny observed the artifact.

It was gold, a bit dirty from the ashes of its wearer but un-melted. It was a signet style, pressed with the image of an ornamental dragon and inlaid with diamond and ruby. It was the real deal, she could tell by the weight, and Penelope had little doubt that an ordinary man could afford to have such a trinket. Whatever had happened on this yacht had to do with the Hood and Crimson Gate, and she suspected the deaths of these people was no accident, including the crew who had made the warning shots. 

_ “Penny, you’ve got incoming. You need to get out of there, now!”  _

“What?” 

“ _ Salvagers maybe, but I don’t want to take any chances when we aren’t prepared.”  _

“FAB, Gordon. I’m returning to Thunderbird 4 now.” 

Whatever it was she was looking for wasn’t really anything. She doubted anyone would come back for a dead man’s ring, so there was either something in this ship worth salvaging, or she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Swimming quickly through to the other end of the room and into the hall headed towards the back end of the yacht, she could see Thunderbird 4’s yellow hull following her movements from outside the windows. 

_ “Penny, where are you?”  _

“I’m coming…” 

Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp pain erupted through her shoulder. Yelping into her comm out of surprise and shock, Gordon no doubt heard it loud and clear as a dark crimson cloud began to waft through the dark water. She was hit. 

“ _ Pen, Penelope what’s your status! Answer me!”  _

“...I...I've been hit by something.” She whimpered, wincing with every movement of that side as she was forced to turn and face the two mirror masked divers headed right for her, “Gordon!” 

_ “Hold on, Pen.”  _

Swimming as quickly and strongly as she was able, Penelope clutched her hand around the ring between her fingers. Her vision began to go fuzzy with each movement of her right arm, and soon her breathing was labored and ragged. As the divers closed in from behind, Penelope felt the ship jostle as two mechanical arms broke through the windows. They didn’t hit the attackers, but it stopped them from proceeding as Penelope continued to fight her way through the back door and out into the abyss. Her vision was spotty, she could only clutch at her shoulder, unable to catch a breath. 

She didn’t feel arms around her till she was caught, to dazed and weak to fight. Thankfully, the new arrival had a familiar voice. 

“I’ve got ye, m’lady,” 

“...P-Parker,” she stuttered, feeling him pull her back towards where FAB 1 waited above them, “you have “I-impeccable timing…” 

“Always, m’lady. Stay with me now, we’ll ‘ave you back in a jiffy,” 

Unfortunately, Penelope never saw the comforting interior of FAB 1 as everything faded to nothingness moments later. 

* * *

Gordon felt like his world was ending. No, scratch that, his world  _ was  _ ending. It was ending right now, watching Parker drag Penelope out of the back of FAB 1 unconscious, and with a harpoon lodged into her back. Was this what she felt when he had to be dragged out of a wreck not a year ago? Gordon had heard the stories, never from Penelope herself, but he knew that she had been the first one there. His heart felt like it was going to shatter into a million pieces, but he had to be there, he had to help no matter what he felt like. 

“M’lady?” Pulling the mask and oxygen away, Parker threw the useless equipment aside as well trained fingers found her pulse in two different places at once, “strong heartbeat. Must’ve been the shock.” 

“I’m here, Parker, what can I do?” 

Falling to his knees beside Penelope in absolute  _ agony,  _ the man was scarily calm as he gently moved her onto her stomach. 

“‘ands, mister Gordon sir.” 

“Right, pressure on the wound. Uh, uh, don’t move the object till we regulate airflow…” 

Reciting everything he had ever read or heard from Virgil about impaled objects (including impaled objects in him), Gordon held his hands around the post, careful not to press too hard. Parker had vanished somewhere, but the aquanaut didn’t care where at the moment. Penelope’s breathing was constant and steady under his palms, her heart was beating a bit fast for his taste but strong, and the blood flow was minimal. That meant the harpoon wasn’t too deeply imbedded, and probably hadn’t severed anything vital. She  _ wasn’t  _ bleeding out on him. 

“...ugh…” her groan startled him, and Gordon had to give her a little jostle with his knee as to make sure she knew he was there, “Gordon?” 

“Yeah. Don’t move ok, don’t do anything. Just  _ breathe.”  _

“What happened?” 

“Later, Pen. Just lie still, Parker is...well, I dunno where he went. Probably to get Virgil.” 

“Damn right he got Virgil.” The named brother spoke up, appearing from thin air with his medical bag and unhappy attitude, “what were you two thinking, going out without alerting the rest of us. That was  _ stupid  _ and  _ reckless  _ and Scott is going to have  _ words.”  _

“I’m sure Scott has more than just words, Virge.” Gordon insisted, tapping Penny again with his knee to keep her from fidgeting as she groaned in pain, “the tip isn’t in too deep, there’s not much bleeding.”

“I’m worried it’s deeper than it looks, the post itself could be stopping the blood flow.” 

“...how very pleasant.” Penelope mumbled, pressing her forehead against the floor with clenched teeth as Virgil began to poke around the area. 

“Mm, looks like it’s right in the middle of the lower trapezius. You’re right Gordon, it’s not deep. The harpoon is barbed though, so we’ll have to cut the skin to get it through with as little damage as possible.” 

“Do what you need to do, Virgil.” Gordon insisted, pursing his lips as Penny sighed deeply against the floor, “sorry, sweetheart. I know you hate this.” 

“That’s quite an understatement, darling.” The woman complained, wincing again as Virgil cut away her suit and began to gently make slits in her shoulder using a surgical blade, “this will make a spectacular story later.”

“Not the words I would use for this situation,” Gordon complained, moving his hands away from the wound so Virgil could have a look. 

“This is going to be really painful,” he admitted, “sorry Pen.” 

Before she could even reply, Virgil began to maneuver the harpoon from its position in her back. Gordon expected a scream, a cry,  _ anything _ . But Penelope was silent, eyes hidden by her hair which fell in front of her face. Parker, who stood off to the side, was uncharacteristically stoic. Only when the harpoon clattered against the concrete did anyone truly breathe again. Handing Gordon a mound of cotton, he immediately placed it on the hole, which was now starting to bleed. 

“Hey Penelope, are you still with us?” 

Virgil leaned over her back, resting his weight on his elbow so he could be closer to her face which lay against the floor, “I need to stitch up the hole, but we can probably move you upstairs for that.” 

“I think...that would be preferable, darling.” Penny managed to rasp, “I do have one request.” 

“Anything, Lady Penelope.” Virgil insisted, “what can I do for you?” 

“I’d like to keep it,” 

Blinking, Gordon glanced at his feet where the harpoon continued to drip a shiny crimson onto the floor. 

“The harpoon?” Virgil asked incredulously, “why?” 

“Mm, tradition. Parker will handle it.” 

“Alright, whatever you say.” Virgil shrugged, “I’m going to get a monitor on you, then we’ll head up alright? You can close your eyes now if you want, you’re not anywhere close to dying today.” 

“Isn’t that a pleasant diagnosis to hear,” Penelope clipped, groaning as her shoulder moved a bit from her talking. 

“Maybe it's better if we use a stretcher,” Gordon provided, feeling much better now that the harpoon had been taken away by Parker and Penelope wasn’t going to die, “if I know anything about Penelope, Virgil, it’s that she’s a  _ terrible  _ patient.” 


	7. Youth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions are on the rise on Tracy Island after the discovery made by Gordon and Penelope, and it's time for everyone to make some decisions.

###  Chapter 7: Youth ****

“They’ve been in there for two hours and it’s way to quiet. Do you think she killed him?” 

Scott was drawn from his second shot of whisky at Alan’s comment. Him and Gordon sat at the table in the center of the living room playing a game of battleship (Alan was playing, Gordon was just acting on impulse), John was watching over them through the hologram (he had returned to his post in Thunderbird 5 the night before) while Virgil read a magazine in one of the recliners. Kayo and Tin-Tin had retreated upstairs after spending the night in Lady Penelope’s room, both of them fairly shaken up that the woman had gotten speared through the back. Gordon had wanted to be there too, insisting that it was his fault, but Virgil ordered he have a rest first. 

Father had gone into the infirmary at a quarter to 11, and him and Penelope had been exchanging harsh words for the past two hours. The commotion was so consistent it had become gray noise. Virgil was still unhappy that his patient (already so difficult to make rest) was straining herself by arguing with the Chief of International Rescue, but he knew better than to interfere with whatever was being discussed. Even EOS, so normally fond of gossip, had gone unusually quiet. Now the arguing had ceased, and all was peaceful again. 

“Maybe someone  _ should _ go check on them,” John agreed, his carrot brows forming a small crease in his forehead, “that was some argument they were having.” 

“I’ll go.” Gordon mumbled immediately, moving to stand only to be pushed right back down by Virgil, who hadn’t even looked up from his magazine, “c’mon Virge, I want to see Penelope.” 

“Not when she and Dad are in there together. Scott needs to go.” 

“Virgil’s right.” Scott agreed, not unhappy that he had been thrown into the hot seat this time. He knew now that something  _ bad _ was going on; something that wasn’t necessarily International Rescue’s business. He hadn’t gotten the full story out of Gordon about what happened when they went out last night, as he and John had been sworn to secrecy by both Penelope and Dad, but his wary inflection and haunted eyes had clued Scott in that it was something well out of their depth. Draining the rest of his liquid courage, the man slipped his fingers into the loops of his jeans. Striding towards the infirmary, he could practically hear his brothers mumbling prayers for him, just in case. Coming to the door, Scott stared at it for a moment, listening to see if there were still voices talking inside. But all was quiet, only the buzzing of medical machinery seeping into the hall. 

“Scott.” 

Hearing dad’s voice call him from inside, the boy exhaled carefully as he entered. For some reason his mind had conjured up something far more violent; furniture toppled over, papers on the floor, things broken. But the infirmary was in perfect condition. The silence was explained by Lady Penelope, fast asleep on her stomach in the bed, perfectly content. Dad was sitting in one of the chairs watching over her, “son, come sit down.” 

“Is uh...everything ok? Do I need to call Virgil in?” 

“Everything is fine, she’s just exhausted. Not even a nuclear bomb could wake her now.” Jeff chuckled weekly, but his expression remained dark and troubled, “I’m guessing you already know something’s going on.” 

It wasn’t a question, merely a statement of facts as Scott wheeled over a chair and slowly sunk down into it. 

“Only that it’s not IR business necessarily,” he admitted, “dad, what happened?” 

“Son, there are cruel people in the world, that’s why I founded International Rescue. But there are things that even we cannot prevent, because people can be  _ that  _ evil.” Folding his old hands over the top of his cane, father inhaled long and deep, “the ship which shot the missiles at our island was a passenger liner out of Sydney; three days and three nights of wine tasting and music.” 

“We got shot at by a cruise ship?” Scott breathed in confusion, “but why?” 

“From what Penelope has told me, the cruise was a guise to get out of port unnoticed. The crew were trained men belonging to Crimson Gate, and the boat was owned by a man named Tang Lu, who was also aboard. They gathered as many people as they could for a false pleasure cruise and set sail, not knowing it was a one way trip. Once the missiles were launched, the passengers and unassociated crew were gathered at gunpoint and burned in an explosion. The boat was then sunk; no survivors, and no witnesses. A clear message sent to us, and the Government. The men who shot Penelope last night no doubt came to make sure there was nothing left behind for us to find.” 

Sitting back with his jaw unhinged, Scott couldn’t find the right words. Glancing at Penelope, her face was still in sleep as he frowned at her. She had been the one to discover it down there, all of those people. “Penny lives in a different world then us, Scott. It’s best not to imagine how she feels about this whole thing.” 

“That doesn’t make it right.” He rasped, finding his chin and rubbing it weakly, “those missiles were for us. We are partly responsible for this.” 

“No, we aren’t.” Dad’s voice was stern but un-accusing, his face tight around his lips, “Crimson Gate is responsible for this, and from what Penny has been telling me, things are only about to get worse. Which means we need to be ready for anything.” 

“I want to kill these guys myself.” Scott hissed, unable to control his anger as his fists curled. Father merely shook his head calmly.

“No. We rescue people; Scott, always have and always will. This changes nothing.” 

“This changes everything father.” Scott insisted, “the Hood is part of this, which means Kayo and Tin-Tin are involved. Penelope got  _ hurt,  _ she could have died. Crimson Gate is challenging us and I will not sit here and do nothing.” 

“We will protect Kayo and Tin-Tin; there is no better place for them to be then here. Penny is leaving for London in the morning -” 

“You can’t do that.” Scott insisted frustrated, “we have to protect our family, our whole family, and that includes Penelope.” 

“What do you think we’ve been arguing about, Scott, the weather?” Dad shook his head and glanced at the bed as the woman in question winced slightly in her sleep, “I can’t keep her here when she has a job to do, no matter how hard I try. She’s like her father,  _ impulsive, _ but always ready to do the right thing. There’s nothing more we can do to stop her, so we’ll do our best to support her. But I don’t want International Rescue anywhere near this thing, do you understand?” 

“But father…” 

“ _ Scott.  _ We deal in Rescue and Retrieval, not justice.” Jeff insisted, “I’ve been lenient with you as of recently in this area. I’ve let Kayo keep Shadow — and that’s already well out of line for what we do. But this is too dangerous for us to get tied up in. That’s my final word, and you will take it, or take a leave of absence if you can’t. Do I make myself clear?” 

Since returning from his time in space, Jeff Tracy had been a quiet man. He left most of the command to Scott, as to not disrupt the balance of the past eight years. But this was the old Jeff Tracy showing through; the man who would gladly leave International Rescue to burn if it meant keeping his sons safe. Nodding stiffly, Scott released a hot breath. 

“Yes sir. I’m sorry, that was out of line.” 

“No Scott, this is upsetting for all of us. And I understand that our family is being threatened,” sighing as he stood slowly from his chair, Jeff mindlessly leaned down to tuck a strand of hair away from Penelope’s face, “but we must let the professionals handle it.  _ We  _ need to be prepared to help with any disaster Crimson Gate is sure to cause. Brains is already working on some new prototypes for me.” 

“Yes sir.” 

“The others aren’t to know what has been discussed. We keep doing what we’ve always done, and leave the rest to Penelope and her people.”

“Yes sir.” Standing from his chair, Scott didn’t miss the figure lingering outside the infirmary door. Father didn’t notice, or noticed and didn’t say anything as he sunk deeper into his seat, “staying for a while longer?” 

“I think so. Tell Virgil I’ll watch over Penny till Parker comes back.” 

“FAB, dad.” 

Ruffling his hair with a drawn out breath, Scott didn’t miss how the shadow in the hall vanished without a sound as he approached. That clued him in to who’d been listening — but for how long, he wasn’t sure. Leaving the infirmary, he passed on dad’s message to Virgil, avoided questioning about what had gone on from the rest of his brothers, and instead grabbed two root beers from the fridge and headed to where he  _ knew  _ Kayo would be. The flight hangar was quiet, so his presence wasn’t secret as his shoes vibrated across the concrete floor. Kayo was laid across Shadow’s nose like it was the bed of a pickup truck, staring at the ceiling. 

Maneuvering up the catwalks to reach her, Scott sighed again as he heard her sniffle. Kayo crying wasn’t a common occurrence, she was a very held together woman. Even in the toughest of rescues, when someone couldn’t be saved or couldn’t pull through, not a tear was shed from her. But the tension since the missile attack was taking its toll on all of them, and Penelope being shot at wasn’t making it any better. It was an unusual time, and it was shaking them to their very core. 

“Hey,” he greeted aloud, even though Scott knew fully well that Kayo had heard him enter, “brought you a root beer.” 

Tossing the drink Kayo caught it easily in one hand, sitting up to look down at him. 

“How’d you know I was here?” 

“Where else would you go?” Scott asked in response, opening his bottle with a hiss as he leaned against the iron railing, “I know you heard what dad said about Shadow.” 

“I heard more than I probably should have,” the girl admitted, leaning on a knee as she popped her own drink and swigged it, “was he really thinking of decommissioning me?” 

“We had  _ words  _ regarding it, once he felt ready to take the reins again. You know as well as I do that the idea of intelligence goes against our original mission.” 

“But we discussed that years ago.” Kayo complained, her tears all but fled and the steely nature back in her eyes, “Shadow doesn’t have weapons, just like the rest.” 

“I know.” Raising his hands as to show Kayo he wasn’t there to fight, Scott shrugged half heartedly, “I gave him the exact same argument you gave me when you wanted to head up our security division. And, as you can see, Shadow has yet to go anywhere.” 

Taking another drink as Kayo’s boots clunked against metal grating as she slid down from her perch, she still looked unhappy, “something else on your mind?” 

“Just...family drama.” Kayo admitted weakly, lifting herself to sit on the rail beside Scott, unperturbed by the height, “this whole thing is weird.” 

“I agree. Is something going on between you and Tin-Tin? You were like two peas in a pod when she arrived.”

“Of course I’m happy to see her again,” Kayo admitted, focusing on her bottle’s label rather than his face as she leaned heavily on her knees, “but it’s been more than a decade since we spent any time together. It’s like trying to become friends with a stranger.” 

“You two didn’t fight, right?” 

“No, nothing like that. It’s just...stuff, girl stuff. She’s not handling Penelope getting hurt very well either; they are really close.” 

“Is she ok to be alone right now?” Scott asked worriedly, “I mean, if you need to get back…” 

“She’s not alone, she wanted to go spend time with Brains down in the lab. I guess she’s taken a liking to him or something. At least that’s what Penelope told me when we talked yesterday.” 

“Really?” Leaning back slightly as to stretch his spine on the rail, Scott shook his head in disbelief, “I didn’t think he’d be comfortable around girls after what happened between him and Moffie.” 

“I don’t think him and Moffie had anything other than geeky, science crushes on each other.” Kayo admitted, seeming more comfortable with the subject as she rapped her nails on the side of her glass bottle, now half empty, “Tin-Tin is different. Apparently they were sharing a midnight meal together before the missile strike happened, and I saw them heading up to the observatory yesterday afternoon.” 

“Wow, he’s really got it for her then? Good for him, Brains deserves a nice girl in his life.” 

Swirling the last swig of root beer in his bottle, Scott downed it in a single gulp before turning and tossing it across the hangar. The artifact made a satisfying clunk in a waste bin down below as Kayo made a grunt of appreciation at the shot. A natural silence falling between them, Scott couldn’t help but observe the girl next to him. These moments, solid under their feet without a disaster or emergency needing their attention, were rare. Kayo eyes appeared to be deep in thought, her fine brows pinched together to create a cute little crease of skin. Her lips were pulled down into a frown, and her muscular shoulders rippled with tense anxiety. She was  _ very _ worried about something, something which she hadn’t (or wouldn’t) share with him. 

“Scott, I have a hypothetical for you.” She spoke after a moment, rubbing her bottom lip mindlessly as he waved a hand, motioning for her to continue, “back when we were kids, would you have saved me, if something went wrong?” 

Blinking at the question, Scott had to roll it over in his mind a few times. 

“Of course I would…” 

“No, not as ‘adult’ Scott.” Kayo interjected, shaking her head from side to side, “I mean as ‘little boy’ Scott, the one who hadn’t even sat in a pilot's seat before. If it was between me and your brothers back then, who would you save?” 

The answer was easy, he’d have chosen his brothers. Not entirely sure why Kayo was broaching such a  _ tedious  _ hypothetical, his face must have been enough of a give away to answer what the girl needed to know. 

“I see…” Kayo didn’t sound offended, merely thoughtful. Shaking his head, Scott wrapped an arm around the girls waist and pulled her closer, bravely. A few years ago he would have had his hand taken off, but Kayo seemed to appreciate the gesture, and rested an arm on his head, “am I  _ really  _ your family, Scott?” 

“Of course you are, that’s stupid.” He insisted immediately, “you’re like a sister to the others, Alan especially looks up to you…” 

“What about you?” 

“You...are the most important person to me, Kayo.” He admitted, his heart suddenly thumping wildly in his chest as Kayo’s eyes widened in surprise. It took a lot to surprise her, so Scott felt a bit more confident as he gently lifted his companion down to the floor with both hands, “I’d be lost without you.” 

“Scott…” 

Leaning in, Scott thought he was going to get slapped. He’d seen Gordon get slapped by Kayo plenty of times before, and it  _ always  _ left a mark. But his lips caught hers, soft and gentle and shy. Her lip gloss was tasteless, and her body was warm pressed up against his. The embrace was short, hardly anything passionate. But as they pulled away, watched over by Shadow’s dark hull, Kayo exhaled shakily, “how long have you wanted to do that?” 

Unable to hold back his laughter, Scott pulled Kayo against his hip as they leaned against the rail again, hearts beating fast and breaths ragged. 

“At least a year.” 

“You’re such a wuss,” she chided, fiddling with the bottle still in her hands. Not hesitating this time as the girl tugged on his collar, Scott gladly obliged to another kiss. He didn’t even break away as Kayo made a movement with her arm, the sound of a bottle in the wastebasket forgotten as Scott kept her close. He didn’t ever want to let go now, not ever. 

* * *

“You really don’t have to do this, Hirum. Won’t you get in trouble?”

Following the glasses wearing man through the back of his lab and down a narrow staircase, Tin-Tin felt oddly bemused. She had  _ no _ idea where they were going, or how many different hangers Tracy Island actually had beneath it. 

“T-this is a personal project. I haven’t shown anyone yet.”

“Does this make me special?” Tin-Tin chuckled, passing through a shallow metal door into a small garage looking space. The lights came on automatically, illuminating a room filled with in-progress experiments. There was a large cylindrical tank filled with liquid, a few old arcade machines, larger robots which didn’t fit in the main lab, and a corner boxed in with plexi-glass, “you certainly keep yourself busy down here, huh?” 

“Y-yes. This is where I experiment with new pod designs. Watch your step, this one’s off center.” 

Taking the hand outstretched to her, Tin-Tin hopped down to the floor with a soft grunt. Exploring the interior of the island was a perfect distraction from the past few hours. So much happened all at once, so suddenly in fact she was surprised the boys hadn’t kicked her off the island. After all, she was a catalyst for trouble, or so she’d been told. But having Penelope around may have something to do with that, harpooned or not, she was truly a force to be reckoned with. 

“Tin-Tin, are you alright?” 

Glancing up at Hirum’s question, she nodded. 

“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m just worried about Penny, that’s all.” 

“H-her injury was superficial,” Brains commented with a soft smile, “she’ll pull through just fine. Virgil likes to s-say that she was a Tracy in another life when it comes to injuries.” 

“That wouldn’t surprise me,” Tin-Tin laughed, catching Hirum’s hand in her own, causing the man to blush, “thanks for keeping me company these last few days.” 

“O-Of course, yes, I enjoy your company as well.” Adjusting his glasses with a light cough, Brains nodded his head towards the front of the garage, “come on, it’s o-over here.” 

Maneuvering around the other items on the floor as they walked to the front of the garage, Tin-Tin let Hirum go towards a large shape covered in a blue tarp. Setting her hands on her hips as he used a jack to roll it into the light, he grinned and pulled the cover away, tossing out his arms in presentation. This revealed a shining yellow biplane [1]. 

“Is this...this is a Tiger Moth!” Tin-Tin exclaimed excitedly, “oh Hirum, she’s beautiful.” Padding forward to get a better look at the plane, it was in beautiful shape, “I’ve never seen a real one, I thought there were only five originals left in the world?”

“This is one of those five,” The man boasted excitedly, holding the lapels of his jacket proudly, “I r-restored it myself, and Lady Penelope helped me get it verified by World Heritage” 

“Does she fly?” kicking a box against the rubber wheel, Tin-Tin climbed up towards the interior for a better look. The plane truly was a beautiful piece of work. She had read magazines about planes, as to feel closer to Kayo who she knew was a pilot. But rather than the highly prized, technical crafts used by the military and the Thunderbirds, she was drawn to the vintage kinds. The biplanes and helium driven airships used in the old wars, and flown for the sake of luxury or recreation. 

“Of course. This is-is a fully functioning craft. I u-used to call her Thunderbird 6, before we made Shadow.” 

“Do you think we could take her for a spin?” 

“You mean you want to...go up? Now?” 

“Can we, Hirum?” Tin-Tin asked, unable to contain her excitement. Riding in a Thunderbird or flying in a Rolls Royce was one thing, but a real, vintage Tiger? “you do know how to fly, don’t you?” 

“Yes. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt...just this once.”

“Oh, thank you, thank you! This is so exciting.” Scrambling into the front seat, Tin-Tin accepted the leather hat with goggles which Brain’s passed to her as she settled the article over her hair. Penelope would be aghast seeing her in such a thing, but as the young engineer scrambled in behind her and started up the rotor engines, she couldn’t care less. 

As the garage door opened to reveal a small runway towards the ocean, there was a mighty and powerful humm as the blade began to spin, fuselage purring elegantly as they began to roll forward. 

“Are you ready, Tin-Tin?” Hirum called over the noise, settling his own goggles over his nose as Tin-Tin did the same, holding up a single thumb in response, “alright, here we go.” 

* * *

“You really shouldn’t be out of bed so soon, Penelope.” Jeff Tracy mumbled, sitting on the end of a lawn chair with a newspaper. Penelope was sitting at the edge of the pool, dressed in a pink bikini as she kicked her feet in the cool water, “Virgil is going to kill me. Parker probably will too if I let him.” 

“Oh tush, you never let your boys boss you around, Jeff,” the woman responded, inhaling and exhaling lightly as she took in the island sun. The hole on her back was covered by a large patch of white cotton gauze, shifting with her every move as the Chief of International Rescue winced, “and Parker won’t ever raise a hand to you, or your boys. As much as he may want to sometimes.” 

“Maybe so. Just don’t fall in, I’m too old to come in after you.” 

“You’re no fun, Jeff Tracy. So many years in space and you haven’t changed a bit.” 

“I’ve changed,” the man defended, nodding to the cane resting beside him, “I have to carry that blasted thing now. A few more wrinkles here, a few white hairs there. A new taste for dry alcohol. I’ve changed plenty.” 

“Of course, darling. Whatever makes you feel better.” 

Laughing, Jeff glanced up as the sound of a motor reached his ears. Penny heard it too, groaning slightly as she leaned back on her hands to have a better view of the sky. After a moment, a small yellow plane buzzed by them, performing loops and spins as it went. 

“I’ll be damned.” Jeff mumbled, shading his eyes with a hand, “is that the Tiger?” 

“Looks like it, beautiful isn’t she? Brains did a wonderful job on the restoration.” Penelope agreed, tipping her head as the plane did another exciting loop in the air. 

“When did Brains learn to fly like that?” Jeff asked, “Scott told me he puked his first mission out.” 

“I don’t believe Brains  _ is _ the one flying,” Penelope chuckled, squinting at the plane as it vanished around the other side of the island, “Tin-Tin.” 

“Tin-Tin and Brains?” Jeff queried, “I don’t believe it.”

“She’s a picky girl.” Penelope admitted, wincing again as she moved to stand from the poolside, “she knows what she wants. Now come darling, I think a drink is in order.” 

“With the painkillers you’re on?” Jeff asked, picking up his cane as he walked to loop his arm through Penelope’s, “how bout a nice pot of tea instead, hm?” 

“Yes,” glancing to the sky as the Tiger once again buzzed above, Penelope chuckled lowly, “I think that would be lovely.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] The Tiger is a direct reference to the film Thunderbird 6, released in 1968


	8. Incendiary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Penelope leaves Tin-Tin on Tracy Island to return to London, and International Rescue is finally back in action after a chemical attack on a populated bridge - orchestrated by the Crimson Gate.

###  Chapter 8: Incendiary 

“Do you have to go?” 

Tin-Tin’s voice cracked as they stood on the runway the next morning. The Island sun had yet to fully rise, a chill breeze prickling against bare arms dressed for warm weather. Kayo kept close to Scott, who had woken up for the departure. The others were still in bed, dreaming pleasantly and enjoying their (presumably) numbered days of respite. 

Parker had already brought out FAB 1, and was packing several pink bags into the boot. Penelope was dressed to travel, her arm in a sling as she and Tin-Tin said their goodbyes. 

“I wish I could stay, my love. But work needs to be done.” 

“You could work from here,” Tin-Tin insisted, her fists clenching in nervousness as she shifted from one foot to another, “you’d be safer.” 

Apparently Penelope’s poker face was very much her own, while Tin-Tin had been wearing her emotions (seemingly) on her sleeve since arriving. But there was still something  _ guarded  _ on the girls face as the two agents spoke, something tight and unsaid. Kayo had seen the same look shared between Penelope and Parker when there was something which needed to be kept quiet, or held only between the two of them. And while Penelope hid herself behind perfection and a steely demure, Tin-Tin showed her vulnerabilities openly to throw onlookers away from her intentions. Two different sides of the same coin; black and white, yin to yang, mentor and apprentice. 

“You know as well as I do that it’s not that simple,” Penelope chuckled lightly, extending her non-constrained arm to pull Tin-Tin against her lovingly, “you’ll do well here, just like you had in Switzerland.” 

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I’ll be back in no time, my love, don’t worry.” 

Tin-Tin wrapped slender arms around Penelope’s waist, gently of course as to not hurt her. The blonde kissed her forehead in response, a flicker of guilt passing across her face for only a shadow of a second. Kayo almost thought she'd imagined it, as the neutral mask of love Penelope had dawned was back in place as they released, “you’ll take care of the boys and your sister for me? And Mr. Tracy and Mrs. Tracy, and Brians? You’ll get that boy out of the lab, hm?” 

“Yeah.” 

“You do what you do best, my love. And I’ll be back before you even miss me.” Tapping Tin-Tin’s nose with the end of a nail, Penelope smiled and turned to make the short walk back to FAB 1. Swiveling slightly, the woman waved towards Kayo and Scott as a second goodbye, allowing Parker to help her into the back of the Rolls Royce with an elbow. Feeling Scott rest his hand on his shoulder, Kayo swayed closer into him as Penelope settled, and the pink monstrosity took to the air. Soon it was gone, Tin-Tin left staring at where the car had been. 

“Do you think you should talk to her?” Scott whispered, his frown deep and his eyes sad as Kayo shook her head. If she had learned anything about her twin since becoming reacquainted, it was that the relationship she had with Penelope was one she didn’t really understand. It was sisterly of course, but also extended far  _ beyond  _ simply living under the same roof. It wasn’t dissimilar to the relationship Kayo had with the boys — the devotion and loyalty which came alongside being part of the Tracy family. For the moment, even if they shared blood between them, Tin-Tin knew she had been left alone with  _ strangers _ . 

“I think we need to give her some time to herself.” 

“Is that what you want?” Scott asked again, retracting his hands and shoving them into his pockets as Kayo sighed, “I can tell you’re bothered by something.” 

“If you don’t mind? Just a few minutes,” She didn’t know how this ‘being in a relationship’ thing worked. Hurting Scott’s feelings after being together for a whole 12 hours wouldn’t be a good way to start, “I didn’t want to say anything…”

“Kayo, I know you. Take the time you need; I’ll be inside making some breakfast before Grandma can set the kitchen on fire.” 

Hearing Scott chuckle as he walked back towards the stairs leading up to the house, Kayo watched him go. Glancing back to where Tin-Tin had been standing once Scott was back inside, she was now gone too. The fact that Kayo — resident Master of stealth — hadn’t noticed, just strengthened the twist which had been developing in her gut. There were questions which she needed answers to, none of which would come easily. 1.) What was Tin-Tin doing in Singapore, 2.) What happened to this Huang guy? 3.)  _ Why  _ was Tin-Tin so worried about Penelope leaving? It was all a jumble of things, things which Kayo was certain would lead into even more things. 

If she knew anything about the world which Tin-Tin and Penelope inhabited (which wasn’t much), it was that things were  _ never  _ straightforward. One trail led to another, which led to another, twisting and curling and dipping around. The best agents, like Penny, could make their crazy, roundabout way of doing things look straight, leading their tail one way, only to be going another. It was like magic, and Kayo couldn’t ever understand the intricacies of the art. She was stealthy, sure, but like her brothers, she had a goal which was straight and predictable. 

Feeling the familiar buzz of her communicator against her wrist, Kayo shook out of her deep thoughts as she lifted her wrist. John’s avatar floated into view. 

“Kayo, get to the common room. We have a situation.” 

“Say no more, I’m on my way.” 

Flicking her hand to vanish the projection, she sprinted back up the hangar stairs. The familiar quick heartbeat was almost a blessing, something to get her mind clicking in overdrive. The boys were already in the meeting area, John’s avatar going over the emergency. 

“This is the Quitar Bridge in India. This week is their annual Festival of Color, meaning the bridge was covered in people.” 

“So what’s the situation?” Scott asked, sitting on the corner of Mr. Tracy’s desk, who was leaning on his elbows with steepled fingers. 

“There’s been an attack on the bridge during the opening ceremony and parade. Here’s some footage caught by the news agencies in the area,” 

Making said video larger, they were looking down at a rather large expansion bridge. People were running everywhere, clouds of orangish smoke creating a haze over everything, “from what we’ve heard from the ground, the clouds are some kind of toxic gas. The GDF and local authorities evacuated the area, but none of the attackers were captured. The gas itself has apparently reacted to the metal in the structure, and the whole bridge is destabilizing. There are houseboats in the river underneath which can’t be moved in time if there was a collapse.” 

“FAB, John. Virgil and Gordon will take Thunderbird 2, I’ll fly ahead in Thunderbird 1 and see if there’s anyone still trapped on or under the bridge…” 

“Everyone will go,” Jeff insisted, cutting off his eldest son, “I have a feeling you’ll need it. Gordon and Alan can stabilize the bridge, Virgil may need to help the GDF with medical on the ground. Kayo,” 

Glancing up at her name, Jeff made a little nod, “you know what to do.” 

“Yes sir.” 

“Alright,” Scott agreed with a nod, “I’ll meet you guys there in 1. Thunderbirds are go.” 

Scattering in several different directions, Kayo fell next to Alan in the descending chairs. The tension must have been prevalent, as the youngest Tracy son was tapping his foot in a distinct rhythm as they made their way down into the hangar. There wasn’t a word spoken between them, not even when they met Virgil and Gordon in Thunderbird 2 for precheck. 

“Kayo, what did Dad mean?” 

It was the first thing said after they had taken off, other than Virgil communicating with Scott who had already launched. Gordon looked tired, stretched thin over his bones despite the small vacation they had. Kayo knew he had spent the night with Penelope in her room, though she suspected nothing occurred other than the conversation which needed to happen between them.

“Mr. Tracy gave me a job, that’s all.” 

“It has something to do with Crimson Gate, doesn’t it?” 

Hesitating, Kayo sighed as she did her best to relax into the seat. Alan’s eyes were on her too now, big and innocent, and though Virgil couldn’t actually look at her right now, she knew he would be if the option was available. She knew of course the boys had overheard the ‘secret meeting’ that first night, so it wasn’t a surprise they picked up on the worry wafting from their father. 

“Yes.” She admitted finally, “Mr. Tracy is worried that this is the start of their twisted mission of worldly destruction. But we can’t be sure.” 

“So what are you going to do?” 

“Both Mr. Tracy and Lady Penelope believe there will be a signature left behind. Something that will tell us Crimson Gate is behind the attack. Bastards like this love to brag, at least that’s what I’ve been told.” Kayo admitted, shaking her head, “but I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what I’m looking for.” 

“Maybe it’s a red dragon,” Alan suggested, “like on the missile tube which got shot into our kitchen.” 

“Or another severed limb,” Virgil mumbled from the front seat, the phrase meant as a joke but taken instead with a cringe. Silence once again befell the cabin, thick and tight like noose. 

“So...Gordon, how’d it go with Penelope last night?” Kayo broached the question, and Gordon’s face softened from it’s hard, pensive look, “I heard you go to her.” 

“I did. I’m...I’m just worried about her, you know?” fiddling with his thumbs, Kayo kicked the lever which allowed her to turn her chair, alerting Gordon that she was ready to listen to what he had to say, “I know she’s a spy and everything, hiding things — keeping secrets — it’s her job. But she doesn’t share her feelings with anyone, not even me. I love that woman, god, I  _ love  _ her Kayo. But sometimes I’m afraid I don’t really know her at all.” 

“Heavy stuff,” the girl was only able to mumble in response, “do you feel like she’s keeping something from you?” 

“Not really. I mean we  _ talk.  _ But she never loses that look about her, like she’s ready to just bear trap onto my neck and never let go. She hides it really well, but she won’t tell me when she’s worried or scared. All I can do is  _ hear  _ it in her voice in the moment, and I hate it every time it happens.” 

“You’re unhappy she won’t be vulnerable around you?” Kayo conformed, leaning forward on her knees as Gordon shrugged. 

“It’s not that either. I know being vulnerable is dangerous for her, I get that, I  _ like  _ that about her. I just wish she wasn’t so afraid of telling me when she’s nervous.” 

So Penelope was nervous? Not many people could tell what that woman was thinking, including Kayo. But Gordon could, he  _ always  _ could tell what the Lady of the Manor needed at any given moment. If he sensed that she was worried about something, then she probably was. That conversation by the pool maybe? Or something else that had happened between them and now? 

“Sorry to break up the moment you two, but we’re approaching the bridge.” 

“FAB.” 

Unbuckling expertly, Gordon and Virgil switched places at the helm of Thunderbird 2. The dark haired boys medical pack was ready to go, leaning against a green painted wall. 

_ “Thunderbird 1 and 2,”  _

“Brains!” Gordon greeted, “glad you could join the party.” 

Leaning forward to view the small hologram, Brains smiled and adjusted his glasses, clearly working from the computer in his lab. 

_ “We’ve been working on analyzing the g-gas surrounding the bridge. I’ve coated both v-vehicles in a thin rubber film, this will keep the exterior metals safe from deterioration.”  _

“We?” Alan asked, “working with grandma again?” 

_ “On the contrary, Alan.”  _

Blinking as Tin-Tin showed up on the hologram, she was dressed in full lab gear, her hair pulled up and out of her face,  _ “I’m a dabbler in chemistry. I thought I could be useful. The toxic cloud is mostly made of dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and trichlorophenoxyacetic acid…”  _

“English! Gosh these science types. English Tin-Tin.” Gordon exclaimed, the girl merely rolling her eyes in sync with Brains as she swiped a strand of hair from her nose. 

_ “It’s an intense form of Agent Orange, but with way more TCDD. Short and sweet, you better not inhale any of it unless you want to increase your probabilities of death. There’s a lot of suffering going on down there, best we not lose you guys too.”  _

“FAB. We’ll be careful.” Virgil confirmed, “how do we get rid of it?” 

_ “The cloud is highly flammable.”  _ Tin-Tin replied,  _ “the only way to destroy the combined acids is to catch the entire thing on fire. That should clean the air of a majority of the toxins…”  _

_ “B-based on my analysis,”  _ Brains continued, bouncing off of Tin-Tin’s words as he continued to work his screens, “ _ there is no way to-to save the bridge. It’s too badly damaged.”  _

“So we make sure the bridge doesn’t fall on anyone or anything before catching the whole thing on fire.” Gordon replied, “got it. Alan, you ready to work with that spray foam again?” 

“FAB.” 

_ “G-good luck.”  _

With that the holograms shut off, and a new tension settled over the drop crew. This time though, it was familiar. The danger that came with a big operation, the thoughts of what could (and probably would) go wrong. But Kayo knew her place on the team, and she had to trust the boys knew what they were doing. Unbuckling to remove the air tanks and masks from where they were kept in the cockpit, she readied one for herself. 

“Gordon, get me as close to the ground as you can. I’ll use wings to get there.” 

“You aren’t actually going down onto that thing?” Virgil complained, “it could collapse any minute.” 

“I’ll have to be quick, but I need to try and find  _ anything _ that has to do with Crimson Gate. We can’t afford to lose evidence in the river.” 

Virgil couldn’t fault her logic this time as Gordon began the necessary prep, the three boys watching as she strapped the glider wings to her back, and situated a mask more securely over her face. 

“You’ll be careful, Kayo?” Alan asked, “I need my copilot for space junk duty.”

“Always.” Sending a wink towards the younger boy, he smiled brightly at her as she turned and began the short walk down to the loading bay. Hearing an alarm sound as the door began to open, Kayo felt the soothing, familiar beat of her heart. This was her area of expertise. Jumping out of planes, the wind rushing by her body, the chill air biting at her fingers. It was a worthy distraction to life’s other troubles, and the girl had little hesitation as she fell from the back of Thunderbird 2 and engaged her glider.

Thankfully, the Quitar River was settled in a wide canyon, which gave her plenty of room to circle as she approached the bridge. Things looked to have calmed down now, what with all of the spectators having been moved off the bridge. But a dark orange cloud was still prominent around the area, choking out the landscape. Tapping her ear, Kayo’s comms crackled to life. 

“Shadow to Thunderbird 2, I’m on a ground approach now. I’ll be twenty minutes tops; do what you can to move everyone out from underneath that thing.” 

_ “FAB, Shadow. Be careful down there.”  _

Hearing Gordon pop off, Kayo turned her focus to the rapidly approaching ground. Disengaging when close enough to the pavement, the soles of her boots skidded across the hot street, rubber treads smoking from friction. But her landing was soft and elegant, though no one could see it as the death cloud was casting everything into a sickly orange-brown hue. She had ten minutes at best before breathing would become more difficult. And though her suit could protect her from the gas itself, Kayo didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. Tapping her comms again, the girl summoned up John. 

“John, I’m on the bridge’s surface. Can EOS run a scan over the area to try and find anything unusual?” 

_ “Already on it. There’s an anomaly about twenty paces ahead, something big.”  _

Nodding with a grunt, Kayo began the quick jog to where John instructed. She could hear the metal cables screaming in protest as the bridge wobbled on its bearings. The concrete was beginning to crack in places, making travel a bit more hazardous as it jutted up in shallow black blades which threatened her ankles,  _ “you’re right on top of it, Kayo. What can you see?”  _

Slowing her run as the object was silhouetted in the fog, Kayo felt her gut twist as the head of a massive red dragon float became clear through the haze. 

“You were right about the red dragon, Alan.” Kayo mused aloud, taking a look at the massive construction. Whispers of smoke still pooled from its open mouth, “guess this explains where the gas is coming from.” 

_ “Kayo! This bridge is coming down.”  _

Jerking at the sound of Scott’s voice in her ear, Kayo shook off the warning as she approached the base of the float,  _ “Shadow, do you read me?”  _

“Just a few more minutes.” 

Hooking her fingers into the floppy paper siding, Kayo grunted as she tore it away and ducked into the float itself. Thankfully, her suit had an automatic recording device, meaning she didn’t have to worry about taking any pictures as she looked up into the mechanism, “this was Crimson Gate alright. But this machine...it’s far more intricate than anything I’ve ever seen.” 

_ “Kayo!”  _

Grunting as the bridge gave a mighty heave under her feet, the agent knew her time had run out as she hurried to crawl back onto the street. Kicking into a run towards the opposite end of the road, the pavement began to shred itself into pieces. Kayo was forced to jump and skid around haphazardly, the hanging platform beginning to dip dangerously. Snapping cables made her heart race as the support beams groaned from the strain. And as she leapt from road to dirt in an epic swan dive, the bridge collapsed in a spectacular cacophony of noise, dust and stone. Rising to her feet after a moment as she stared at where the bridge had just been, Kayo placed both hands on her hips and sighed. Close calls were also her specialty, right alongside jumping from the backs of Thunderbirds. 

“Shadow to Thunderbirds. What’s the situation?” 

_ “Thank god. I hate when you do that.”  _ Scott complained, clearly having been holding a breath out of worry,  _ “we managed to get the boats out of the way of the collapse, Gordon and Alan are using Thunderbird 2 for immediate cleanup.”  _

“FAB. This was definitely the work of Crimson Gate, I don’t doubt it. But the machine which was used feels too sophisticated for an attack on a bridge.” 

_ “What do you mean, Kayo? This area was a massive soft target; thousands of people will be impacted.”  _

“I know my Uncle, and how he thinks. Why settle for a thousand people and a bridge when the parade goes right through the city center? The gas machine was disguised as a float, it could have passed right through without anyone knowing.” 

_ “That’s..yeah ok, that’s worrying.”  _ Scott agreed,  _ “I’m coming to get you. We need everyone to be clear before we can take care of the gas. I’m at your 12 o’clock.”  _

Glancing to the sky as Thunderbird 1 hovered just over her head, Kayo waved as Scott dropped a cable for her. Being lifted to safety and flown to a safe distance as Thunderbird 2 launched an incendiary shot towards where the bridge had formerly stood, the thing ignited like a display of fireworks. 

“Hopefully that saves some of the environment,” Scott mused, Kayo perched on the arm of his seat as they watched the haze catch, “Virgil has already said there will be hundreds of people affected long term by this.” 

Kay grasping the man’s shoulder and giving it a squeeze, she felt a frown tug at her lips.

“There’s a reason MI-6 is involved,” Kayo whispered, ruffling Scott’s hair as they began the flight back to Tracy Island, “we did everything we could.” 

“I just hope Penelope can work some of her magic. We could really use it right now.” 

“Yeah,” moving to settle into the back seat of Thunderbird 1, Kayo removed her mask and tossed it aside as she began to mindlessly play with her bottom lip, “I hope so.” 


	9. Choices

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hood is once again scheming, while Penelope makes decisions regarding her relationships.

###  Chapter 9: Choices

Ghaat Kyrano liked to consider himself a reasonable man. He shared his wealth and power, for the right reasons and to the right people of course. He took care of his employees, paid them well, gave vacations and sick days; insurance for the wife and kids. Oh yes, he was very much a reasonable  _ employer.  _ But as a man, reasonable was a bit of a stretch. He had spent so long preparing to build up an empire in whatever way he could. Jeff Tracy had been part of that empire, long, long ago. They were partners, and combined they could’ve had the world. But then he met that  _ woman,  _ and Tracy’s ambition turned to mush. He became soft, a philanthropist of all things good and righteous. No one ever gained anything but heartache through righteousness. 

The betrayal of his own brother had been the final straw, the last stake through his empire. Not only did Patel run off with Ohana, the woman he had been pining after for years, but also took his twin daughters (possible heirs to Ghaat’s future) right along with him. A lifetime of planning, gone, all because of Jeff Tracy. Even after Ghaat had sabotaged his project, destroyed the Zero XL, Jeff  _ still  _ managed to best him by way of his nosey sons. The Thunderbirds; great power used for nothing more than rescue. He could rob the Bank of London with that type of technology and there wouldn’t be a thing anyone could do about it. He could take over cities and states, bring the universe crumbling down to nothing. Yet Tracy’s damn philanthropy lived on in his kin, which now tainted his niece. But Kayo was much more like him then she liked to admit, and Ghaat reveled in the turmoil it caused her. 

She would, if his plan succeeded, make a great young apprentice. Tin-Tin as well, though she had already helped him further his gains, whether she had wanted to or not. Oh the joys and naivety of youth, easy to exploit and plunder through. Glancing up slightly from where he looked out over the dank ChinaTown Nightmarket, Li Jun was forced to his knees before the desk. He had a wife and two children who lived in the nearby harbor district, and came with excellent references. And yet here he knelt, hands tied behind his back with tears in his eyes. 

“The plan had an 85% chance of success.” Ghaat hissed, refusing to look at the pathetic waste of air before him out of anger and frustration. He was tired of failure, and his mercy had long since run out, “and yet you’re here, groveling for forgiveness.” 

The float had been a genius work of engineering, encasing a gas machine that would kill the entire city of Quitar in less than three hours. They had spent millions of dollars developing the technology, even more man hours making sure  _ nothing  _ could go wrong. And yet it did, all because of this  _ fool.  _ He wept helplessly in his soggy Mandarin tongue, bowed and kissed the ground at Ghaat’s feet. But he wasn’t feeling particularly kind today, so he merely waved a disgusted hand.

“Take care of him,” 

Jun was dragged away kicking and screaming, never to be seen or spared a thought again. Sitting down at his desk, Ghaat couldn’t find it in him to appreciate the ornate mahogany woodwork. He now had a different task at hand; the prize he so craved after so many failures. Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward was a slippery fish to catch. His men had been close at the shipwreck, having managed to wound her, but she was smart and had too many allies. The Thunderbirds guarded her like a treasure, and that made Ghaat just want her more. How he could make her  _ scream.  _ He needed to bait a trap if he was to find success, and what better way than with the information she was after? 

Ghaat knew she was looking for them; there wasn’t any doubt after all the less than subtle hints and messages they’d been sending. But he also knew there was no more time for failure on the part of his men. He would have to do this himself; like the raven which steals the egg from the nest. Picking up the velvety black envelope which lay on his desk, Ghaat found himself flipping it in his cybernetic fingers. He remembered when the good Lady had come to visit him in prison. So unlike the fools of International Rescue, he could feel the conflicting natures of her person. Good and righteous for her cause yes, but also dark and menacing. The threats which burned the tips of her words made him shiver with excitement. Summoning one of his men from the corner, Ghaat handed the envelope over. “Make sure this gets delivered.” 

Sitting back in his chair with steepled fingers, Ghaat finally found a moment of peace. There was still much planning to do, after all. Snatching someone from under the public’s nose was no easy feat, especially with that troublesome chauffeur around and Thunderbird 5 monitoring them all like a mother hen. Upon her arrival, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward was not to be underestimated in any sense of the word. She would need to be taken care of with enough sedative to bring down a cart horse. All of that aside though, Ghaat inhaled and exhaled, resting his forehead against his hands. He’d find success soon enough. After all, patience was his very best virtue. 

* * *

Meanwhile, across the ocean in London, Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward was enjoying the luxuries of wealth. Though she didn’t often take time to relish in her family's good fortunes, an afternoon in the large claw foot tub with a perfect cup of Assam was just what she needed. Head tilted back as her blonde curls brushed against her ears, she listened half-attentively to Jeff Tracy’s report of the Quitar bridge incident. 

_ “...reconstruction on the bridge has already begun, funded of course by Tracy Industries. It has been determined with certainty that the terrorist cell known as Crimson Gate was behind the attack, but it is not known whether the Quitar bridge was the original target…”  _

The man’s droning, dull tone was soothing to the ears. Penelope was reminded of her first college lecture at Cambridge, in which he had been guest speaking on the intricacies of astro-physics. She had fallen asleep in that presentation as well, thinking back on it. Jerking to alertness again as Jeff spoke her name over the hologram, she blinked a few times to clear her thoughts,  _ “Penny? Are you listening?”  _

“Yes, I’m sorry darling. I suppose I dozed off the last few moments.” 

Jeff chuckled at her as she yawned, resting her cheek upon her knuckles, “say again? Just the last few sentences.” 

“ _ Nothing important, just some final remarks. What do you think of Kayo’s thoughts on the misfire?”  _

“I think her instincts are sharp enough that we take them as truths.” Penelope sank lower in the tub, fiddling with the bubbles in her palm, “I had Parker look at some of the images, and he agrees that it was far too advanced to be used in an area as open as a canyon.” 

_ “I concur. I talked to Colonel Casey, and we decided that it may be best to monitor soft targets, even disband them if we can.”  _

“Concerts, parades, festivals and the like?” Penelope clarified, “yes, I think that may be a wise choice. Discreetly of course. I’m more than willing to do my part where I can, you know.” 

_ “Just take it easy, Pen. Don’t need you working yourself into the ground. I’m happy to see you’re taking a moment to relax.”  _

“Work is never done, my love. This is as close as I’ll ever get to a real vacation.” Waving at her current state, Penelope took another sip of her tea as the semi-professional atmosphere turned to casual, “tell me, how is Tin-Tin doing? She participated in her first rescue; I do miss her dearly.” 

_ “She’s doing fine, a bit...I don’t think nervous is the right word, but unsure of where she stands right now. The boys have been trying to get to know her, but things have picked up again and they are out and about as usual. I’ve forced Kayo to have more downtime — I think your stubbornness has worn on her.”  _

“My stubbornness?” Penelope gawked, holding a hand to her chest in offense, “Have you  _ met  _ your sons, Jeff? If anything she inherited more from them then she ever did from me. Tin-Tin on the other hand…”

_ “Yes, yes, she’s our little glamour girl. Though she’s been spending a lot of time down in the lab with Brains. I’m afraid I may have to drag them both out by the collars if it keeps up.”  _

“Oh don’t worry, Tin-Tin isn’t able to say in one place for very long,” Penelope mused fondly, “it’s a good thing we had such a large estate growing up, she moved bedrooms every other month. She’ll get Brains out of that lab, whether he likes it or not. And based on how Tin-Tin is, he’ll most certainly like it — there won’t be much choice in the matter.” 

_ “Right you are, Pen. Any news on your end? How’s the shoulder?”  _

“Healing nicely,” Rolling said shoulder, it ached in protest from the movement and Penny huffed a short, annoyed breath, “a bit sore still, but Parker has finally allowed me to do away with that horrendous sling.” 

_ “I’m glad to hear it. What of your work?”  _

“Slow going I’m afraid.” Penelope admitted, “the parts used for the gas machine were no doubt purchased via black market, and siphoned through multiple organizations and shipping lanes. So that’s unfortunately not a viable option to track down who purchased what, when.” 

_ “What about the ring you found? Any luck?”  _

“None I’m afraid. I’ve been told that the craftsmanship is exquisite, no doubt made by hand and purchased out of Singapore.” 

_ “Another dead end, then?”  _

“We shall see,” Penelope mused, lifting her hand to look at the ring in question. Keeping it on her person was important to the mission, as she felt in her gut that it was somehow related to the Crimson Gate. The fact that she had pulled it off a corpse was...only a bit unsettling. “I’ll be sending it back to Tin-Tin for safe-keeping once my expert gets back to me.” 

_ “You think that's wise?”  _

“It’s a piece of jewelry, Jeff. Tin-Tin is the only person on your Island who understands such things. Unless you’d like to wear it. I always thought men’s rings were quite handsome.” 

Jeff chuckled at the insinuation and shook his head. 

_ “Not for me, Pen. I’ll be sure Tin-Tin knows you’ll be sending her something. I’ll check in with you again in a few days, how does next Wednesday sound?”  _

“Perfectly splendid. Send my love to the boys, Kayo, and your mother.” 

_ “Will do. Bye, Penelope.”  _

“Ta-ta.” Reaching out to close the lid of her compact, Penelope examined her quickly wrinkling fingers. Shaking her head unhappily at the sight, she rose from the bath. She was just tying off her robe when there was a light knock on the door, “come in.” 

“Sorry for the disturbance, m’lady. B’hut some mail ‘as come for you.” 

“Quite right. The usual letters I presume?” 

“Not qu’hite. I think you ought to ‘ave a look fer yourself.” 

Furrowing fine brows at the admittance, Penelope nodded and did her damp hair up into a towel, wrapping it elegantly as she stepped out into the main bedroom. Said letter of interest was waiting in the middle of the room for her, a dark spot on the fine redwood table she so cherished. Sweeping herself to sit, Parker presented her with the letter opener as she took the envelope in long fingernails. The thing practically buzzed with mystery, the golden wax seal emblazoned with a dragon — the same dragon which was curled on her ring. 

“I do believe we’ve caught the attention of some rather  _ dangerous  _ admirers.” She mused aloud, knowing Parker was still fiddling about the room somewhere to keep his hands busy as she slipped the seal open without breaking it. The letter was handwritten in fine, heavy handed calligraphy on equally heavy paper. The top was once again embossed with the seal Penelope now knew to associate with the Crimson Gate, or at least, a cell of it. Skimming the text quickly, she couldn’t help the rise of her brows, “well, well…” 

“Somethin’ wrong, m’lady?” 

“It’s an invitation to a charity gala of all things. How  _ very  _ strange.” Running a finger across the address, she nodded as the building came to mind, “yes, at the Mandarin Hotel. How suitable.” 

“Smells like a trap to me, m’lady.” Parker insisted hotly, looking over her shoulder and shaking his head. 

“I’d hardly think it would be anything else.” Penelope agreed with him, flipping the envelope a few times to observe it more carefully. It practically oozed importance. “A party held in the honor of the next up and coming terrorist organization, in the middle of London of all places? Seems like hiding in plain sight is a useful tactic in this case. And it is a tempting little puzzle…”

“I don’t think it wise, m’lady, to attend.” Parker admitted, “it may be dangerous.” 

“As is everything else we do, I wouldn’t be very good at my job otherwise. Suppose we are hypervigilant?” A girlish smile tugging at her lips, Penelope felt the familiar purr of excitement in her collar. She did have that wonderful new starlight evening dress she’d been wanting to wear out, “I would hate to pass up such an easy go at a well of information.” 

Reaching down to pick up Sherbet, who had been whining at her feet for the past few minutes, Penelope stroked the animal fondly, “what do you think Parker? Still too dangerous? I’m sure John would be happy to monitor us while we’re working.” 

“I think so, m’lady, but I can see that gl’hint in yer eye. I’ll make the necessary arrangements. Shall I phone Tracy Island?” 

“No, not yet.” Waving a hand as Sherbet fell asleep in her lap, Penelope pursed her lips, “I don’t wish to bother them with this, not when Crimson Gate is no doubt planning their next move as we speak. I’ll call headquarters myself and let them know we have a lead. This may just be the slip-up we need to break this case wide open.” 

“As you wish, m’lady.” 

Still frowning as Parker ducked into the closet, Penelope continued to stare at the letter in her hands. Her focus changed though as her compact began to chime. Removing it and flicking open the lid, Gordon’s avatar appeared before her. He looked ruffled, clearly just back from mission. What with the complexities of time zones, she was surprised to be getting a call so early. 

“Gordon. Hello darling.” 

_ “Lady Penelope. Sorry, I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”  _

Nodding to her current attire, Penny felt herself smile as she mindlessly shifted, her collarbones hot with blush. 

“Not at all, my love. What can I do for you? Just back from an assignment, I presume?” 

_ “Yeah. I just...I wanted to know if you thought about what we talked about.” _

Ah. Her smile turning into a more pensive frown, Penelope found herself fiddling with her hair.  _ That  _ conversation in particular still stuck in her ribs like chewing gum. The night itself had been a long one, Gordon’s normally carefree face so scrunched up with worry as she laid on her stomach in the medical ward. It broke her heart, and she certainly had been thinking about it, but her job was nothing if not dangerous. He knew that, yet he was asking her to be safe. To come back. And that was a promise she simply couldn’t keep. 

“It hasn’t slipped my thoughts,” she mused after a moment, “but my answer remains the same. I can’t make any promises to you Gordon, just as you can’t ever make any to me. You of all people should understand that.”

_ “Of course I do! I nearly died twice in the last year.”  _ He insisted hotly, his own face and demeanor matching her own,  _ “I just hate being so far away. And you’re not...I mean, we’re not, being open with each other.” _

“If you wanted an open relationship, my love, then you’ve made a very unfortunate choice.” Penelope didn’t mean for it to come so harshly, but she  _ had  _ this conversation before. With her father, with Jeff, with Parker, and now with Gordon (twice technically, if that night was to be counted), “I cannot change who I am simply for the sake of my safety,” she grumbled, “there is information we  _ need  _ to keep our world safe. And I’ll gladly put myself into the line of fire to make sure it is exposed, just as you do in order to rescue others. Even if I asked you Gordon, begged you to come live in London with me, to give up everything you’ve ever known, you wouldn’t.” 

The blonde was silent on the other end of the line, his eyes downcast as he nodded. 

_ “You’re right. International Rescue…” _

“Needs you. Yes, darling, and I feel the same way. So I  _ refuse  _ to promise that I...that…hem…” hesitating for a moment, Penelope sighed a deep, great breath. It caused her bad shoulder to ache, and made her feel old, “I cannot promise that there will ever be an  _ us.  _ For more reasons than I could ever explain.” 

There, it was said. The tension between them felt like a drawn rope, straining and unwinding by the distance placed between them. Being with Gordon was something she wanted, she dreamed of them — but it simply wasn’t a viable option. Those warm days on the island were...fantasy; shared moments used to soften steel laid souls. Nothing could ever get serious; she couldn’t take all of the worrying. The constant back and forth would drive anyone mad. Something would have to give in order to make a compromise work, to make  _ them  _ work beyond a casual night together. Penelope wasn’t willing to give, and neither was Gordon. 

_ “Ok.”  _ his voice sounded so broken, and Penelope couldn’t look at his holographic face,  _ “I hope you have a good night, Lady Penelope.”  _

“You as well, Gordon.” 

Reaching out carefully, Penelope closed the compact with a hand. Sitting in silence for a moment, her opposite palm rising and falling with Sherbet’s sleeping breaths, Penelope pursed her lips. She  _ wouldn’t  _ cry over this. It was an inevitable decision — something said yet unsaid after so much had passed between them. Gordon had nearly died so many times, the most recent being in her arms. Yet an apology was never uttered; she had been scared yet little comfort was offered. As it had always been for her, she supposed.

It was easy sometimes to forget her roots. Those long days burning under a red hot sun, the weight of a rifle in her grip with sand beat so deeply into her being that she could still taste the grit to this day. Gordon would _blanch_ at the things she had done for the sake of information, all of which remained tightly sealed in an archive beneath London. Not realizing she had fallen prey to her thoughts, Penelope glanced up as Parker emerged from where he had been inside the closet. In his hands was the silver and white glittering evening dress, as well as a pair of sensible heels and some diamonds. 

“Suitable for your event, m’lady?” 

“Yes, Parker. Wonderful choice.” Rising from her place as she transported Sherbet to continue his nap on the bed, Penelope unwrapped her hair from its towel as she placed both hands on her hips, “now, I do believe we have some planning to do.” 


End file.
